Devin Booker entered a room filled with Phoenix Suns legends and immediately soaked in the franchise’s history, but it was Charles Barkley who turned the gathering into an emotional declaration about his future. Attending an offseason event alongside Suns icons, Barkley delivered an impassioned message to the fan base, swearing that Phoenix remains his permanent home. Although Barkley’s playing tenure in the Valley lasted just four seasons before a 1996 trade to the Houston Rockets, the Hall of Famer made it clear his post-career roots in the city are unbreakable.
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In a video posted on X, Booker told reporter Dan Bickley that he feels the greatness “upon entry” when surrounded by basketball legends and described himself as a “sponge to every story” from Barkley.
“You feel it. You feel it upon entry, right when you get in the room,” Booker said.
“I’m a sponge to every story that Charles has to say. When I get to look these guys in the eyes, we call them the OGs in our generation. I hope they feel the love in what they’ve done for me in my career. They’ve paved the way… It’s an international, worldwide game. It wouldn’t be them without these guys laying the groundwork. So I always like to pay my respects.”
Barkley then turned his attention to the audience, explaining why the city took hold of him after former team owner Jerry Colangelo acquired him from Philadelphia in 1992.
“I’m going to be serious for a second,” Barkley said.
“People say to me, and my friends, why… do you live in Phoenix? It’s because of you… I can live anywhere in the world I want to. When Mr. Colangelo, Jerry, I love you, thank you. I got traded here in ’92. I had zero idea about Phoenix. Zero.”
The June 17, 1992 blockbuster trade sent Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang to the 76ers, instantly transforming both Barkley and the franchise. His debut 1992-93 campaign saw Phoenix post an NBA-best 62-20 record while Barkley claimed MVP honors and led the Suns to the NBA Finals against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Much like Booker today, Barkley’s arrival in 1992 turned him from a skepticism-filled outsider into the foundational pillar of Suns culture.
“Because of you people, because of Mark West, Eddie Johnson, Tom Chambers, I’m going to… live here until they cremate my fat ass,” Barkley added.
“I mean that sincerely. Because of the people in this room… That’s why I love Phoenix. And I’m never going to leave.”
Despite his permanent vow to the city, Barkley’s actual playing tenure with the Suns ended in 1996 after four seasons when he was traded to Houston, though he was later inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor in 2004.
Now, Booker inherits that same cultural mantle as he prepares for another campaign following the Suns’ first-round sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2026 playoffs. Barkley’s continued public embrace of Phoenix offers strong backing for Booker, whom Barkley advised earlier this offseason to “never defer to anybody” as he leads the franchise forward.