Devin Booker Is Headed Back to the 3-Point Contest-Even If the Numbers Don’t Tell the Full Story
Suns star Devin Booker on being in the 3-point shooting contest:
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 11, 2026
"We're a 3-point shooting team, so I'm there on behalf of Collin [Gillespie], Royce [O'Neale], and Grayson [Allen]. It'll be fun. I like the game too. Everything's earlier in the day now. ... I'm already down there… pic.twitter.com/KPOnj44SLz
PHOENIX - Devin Booker is no stranger to the NBA’s 3-Point Contest. He’s won it before, and now he’s headed back for another shot during All-Star weekend. But this time, his invitation comes with a bit of a twist - and even Booker himself admits it’s not exactly about his current shooting numbers.
Through this season, Booker’s shooting just 31.1% from beyond the arc on 5.5 attempts per game. That would mark the lowest 3-point percentage of his career if the season ended today. Not exactly the stat line you’d expect from someone getting the nod for one of All-Star Saturday’s marquee events.
But Booker isn’t pretending otherwise. After a recent game, he cracked a smile in the locker room and made it clear: this isn’t just about him.
“We’re a 3-point shooting team, so I’m there on behalf of Collin [Gillespie], Royce [O’Neale], and Grayson [Allen],” he said.
That trio - Gillespie, O’Neale, and Allen - has been doing the heavy lifting from deep for Phoenix this season. They rank among the team’s top four in 3-point attempts, and they’ve helped push the Suns into the upper tier of NBA teams when it comes to volume and efficiency from long range. Phoenix sits in the Top 10 in makes, attempts, and percentage - a clear sign of how much the 3-ball has become part of their identity.
Booker, for his part, isn’t shying away from the challenge. He’s already down in the All-Star host city for Sunday’s big game - his fifth All-Star appearance - and says the timing and format of the contest work in his favor.
“It’ll be fun. I like the game too.
Everything’s earlier in the day now... I’m already down there, and I can shoot off the rack pretty good.”
And he’s not wrong. Booker’s got history here.
Back in 2018, he lit up the final round of the contest with a then-record 28 points - a shooting display that still stands as one of the most memorable in event history. He’s proven he can get hot in this format, where rhythm and repetition often matter more than in-game shooting percentages.
This year’s field won’t make it easy. Damian Lillard and Jamal Murray are among the headliners, and both bring serious firepower from deep. But Booker’s got the experience, the confidence, and maybe even a little extra motivation - not just to represent himself, but the guys in his locker room who’ve been letting it fly all season long.
If he does manage to bring home another trophy, don’t be surprised if he shares the credit with Gillespie, O’Neale, and Allen. After all, in today’s NBA, the 3-point shot is rarely a solo act - and Booker knows better than most how much it takes a team to make it rain.