Phoenix, Arizona NBA star Devin Booker knows how this goes by now. The numbers come out, fans click their favorites, and somehow one of the NBA’s most consistent stars finds himself looking up at a long list of names in the All-Star voting. This year is no different, even though Booker is putting together another strong season and leading a Phoenix Suns team that has quietly flipped the script.
According to Yahoo Sports, after the second fan return voting last week, Devin Booker sat 17th among Western Conference players with 232,075 votes. In a league driven by star power, market size, and international followings, that number feels light. Booker agrees, but he is not pretending to be shocked. “I see it, but at this point, it’s expected,” Booker said after the Jan. 13 morning shootaround at Kaseya Center as the Suns prepared to face the Miami Heat that night.
The issue is not complicated, NBA Fans account for 50 percent of the vote for All-Star starters, regardless of position. And Booker is competing in a loaded West that includes global superstars and massive markets. Luka Doncic of the Lakers leads all players with 2,229,811 votes, nearly two million more than Booker.
Phoenix Arizona NBA Star Devin Booker Isn’t Big on the Fan’s All-Star Voting
“It’s fan voting,” Booker said. “There are some super big market teams. There are guys from different countries that have a whole country behind them. I kind of understand the process, but am I playing better than a lot of guys? For sure, but that’s not the setup.”
It is hard to argue with that last part. Devin Booker is averaging 25.3 points and 6.4 assists while guiding the Suns to a 24-15 record, good for sixth in the Western Conference. That standing matters, especially since most preseason projections had Phoenix, Arizona missing the postseason entirely. Instead, the Suns are solidly in the mix, and Booker is the reason.
“He is the engine for our team,” Suns guard Grayson Allen said. “Everyone knows he can score the ball, but this year, his playmaking has been great. Assists, hockey assists, everything, he is the head of the snake for our team. We’ve surprised a lot of people this year and being the best player on this team, we’re not successful without him.”
Allen also admitted the voting results were confusing from a basketball standpoint. “Definitely doesn’t matchup with his body of work and what he’s done this season,” he said. “It’s a little surprising from that standpoint, but that’s the fan voting. I’m a little surprised he’s that low. It’s not based on his performance that’s for sure.”
Devin Booker’s situation highlights the ongoing tension between popularity and production in All-Star voting. Eight Western Conference players already cleared one million votes, including Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Deni Avdija, and LeBron James. Star power and storylines matter, and Booker has never fully benefited from either when it comes to starting nods.
Is Devin Booker Overlooked?
In fact, Devin Booker has never been named an All-Star starter. He has been an injury replacement twice and voted in as a reserve twice by league head coaches. Coaches still matter here. Players account for 25 percent of the starter vote, and the media makes up the remaining 25 percent. If Booker makes it, it is most likely as a reserve, selected by head coaches for the Feb. 15 game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
That respect from coaches carries weight, but Booker keeps his focus elsewhere. “I’ve also not got in on coach’s vote, too,” he said. “We’ll see. We just worry about taking care of wins. We’re in a good spot right now. Everybody sees the standings where a bad week or a good week for anybody can change a lot.”
There is also a new wrinkle this year. The All-Star game will feature two U.S. teams and one international squad in a round-robin format. If voting does not produce the required mix, Commissioner Adam Silver will step in to fill the gaps. International stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Wembanyama are essentially locks, which only tightens the competition for everyone else.
For Booker, it all adds up to familiar territory. He is respected, productive, and leading a winning team, yet still fighting perception and popularity. Whether he gets there as a reserve or not, the message from Devin is clear. He believes his game speaks for itself, even if the vote totals do not, and as for Phoenix, Arizona, they believe in Devin Booker more than anyone.
Emma Taylor 
Kendra Quinn 
