“He’s the only athlete that I think somewhat got rid of the myth of the Kardashian curse” - Keyshawn Johnson says Devin Booker is ‘balling out’, believes he can lead his team to a title in 5 years
ESPN's Keyshawn Johnson believes Devin Booker is the only player who has broken out of the infamous "Kardashian Curse." Booker has played at an elite level this season and many analysts believe he can lead the Phoenix Suns to a title soon.
Following Ja Morant's 52-point performance recently, the NBA world has been busy discussing the future of the league. A few bright young players are set to be the new faces of the league once the era of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant is over.
On the popular ESPN show "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," the group was debating which players under the age of 25 can lead their team to a title in the next five years. Among the players discussed, Keyshawn Johnson believes Devin Booker is one of the few who can win it all.
"He’s the only athlete that I think somewhat got rid of the myth of the Kardashian curse because he is continuing to ball out," - Johnson said
The aforementioned "Kardashian Curse" is an infamous myth involving men who have dated or were rumored to have been involved with women in the Kardashian/Jenner clan.
The curse suggests that these men have struggled in various ways, whether it be professionally or personally, since dating the women. Many musicians, artists and athletes have been linked to the family and not many have had successful careers or lives following the relationship.
Seeing as though Devin Booker is still playing at an elite level, many believe he is the exception to the "curse." He has been involved with Kendall Jenner since 2018 and the couple have attended public events like the NBA Finals and Super Bowl together.
Over the years, many NBA athletes have dated or have been rumored to have dated the women of the Kardashian and Jenner families. Lamar Odom and Kris Humphries were two of the first who were linked to the "Kardashian Curse". Odom was married to Khloe Kardashian for four years before the couple split up in a reportedly ugly manner.
The two-time champion and the LA Lakers had a near overdose event at a brothel in Las Vegas and the pair subsequently filed for divorce.
Kris Humphries was the 14th pick in the 2004 NBA draft and went on to play for nine teams during his 12-year career. He never really amounted to much in the league, as his basketball journey ended with a series of short-term contracts and waivers in 2018. He was married to Kim Kardashian for less than 72 days before officially splitting up in 2013.
Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons have both been involved with Kendall Jenner and their careers have undergone a steady decline since the relationship ended. This, of course, fueled the myth of the "Kardashian Curse" even more.
It hasn't been the same for these two ever since Kendall left them 😂 https://t.co/v5uAObeLir
Devin Booker and Kendall Jenner are still rumored to be involved as they attended the 2021 Super Bowl in Los Angeles together. Booker is now burdened with the responsibility of carrying the Suns until Chris Paul can return from injury. He needs to play his absolute best to ensure the the first-placed Phoenix Suns don't slide down the standings.
Devin Booker is one of five superstars who analysts believe can lead his team to a title
Many players under the age of 25 were discussed on the show along with Devin Booker and Ja Morant. The entire panel agreed that both players could lead their teams to a title in the near future.
Meanwhile, players such as Zion Williamson did not make the cut. All three analysts believe Williamson could be a crucial piece on a championship team but cannot lead his franchise to the promised land.
Players under 25 who led their teams in scoring on their way to the NBA Finals (last 15 years):
'06 - Dwyane Wade
'07 - LeBron James
'09 - Dwight Howard
'12 - Kevin Durant
'21 - Devin Booker
D Book is the only one to do it in his FIRST postseason 😳 👏 https://t.co/gPYZ4sEHkl
Additionally, Luka Doncic was also given his flowers while Trae Young and LaMelo Ball were dismissed from the discussion. This was due in part because the Eastern Conference is too stacked at the moment. The question was specifically about winning a title in the "next five years" and the panel reckons Ball and Young probably won't get that done before 2027.
One thing is for certain. The future of the NBA is very bright, especially considering stars like Donovan Mitchell (25), Bam Adebayo (24) and Jayson Tatum (23) weren't discussed in the show's discussions.