


D’Angelo Russell gave Devin Booker a badly needed win.
Booker’s Suns were unceremoniously bounced by the Nuggets in six games in the Western Conference semifinals — with the deciding Game 6 a 125-100 trouncing.
Booker then uncharacteristically bolted the Suns locker room afterward, opting not to speak to the media.
He also did not speak to the press the following day.
The fallout from the postseason disappointment was the firing of head coach Monty Williams.
This is what friends and business partners are for.
Russell, the Lakers point guard, snuck his Coco5 drink into his press conference again after Los Angeles eliminated the Warriors in six games in the other Western Conference semifinal.
A Lakers spokesperson quickly yanked the drink, as the NBA is sponsored by Gatorade.
Still, Russell’s efforts have garnered attention and Booker is the majority owner of the sports drink company, as well as an ambassador himself.
“It’s important for us,” Booker told AZCentral.com after Russell’s first Coco 5 stunt, which came after Game 3 in their opening-round series agains the Grizzlies.
“I was happy. I brought it out in the [2021 finals] when we played, also. The ability to be able to endorse your own products. Something that [Russell] is invested in, too. That’s sweat equity. It’s a passion project for both of us and for it to come to light a little bit like that and people see it on the big stage is important.”
It was a roller coaster postseason for Booker, who was putting up electric performances in the Suns’ first 10 postseason games — averaging 35.9 points per game — before crashing with a 12-point performance in Game 6 against Denver.
Booker said last month that the drink getting yanked from the press conference is actually a better result than it just sitting there.
“I think it was a good turnout,” Booker said. “It gave it more light than it would’ve if [the bottle] just sat there.”