$50M worth Devin Booker reveals first person he asked for autograph during his high school days
Devin Booker, who has a net value of $50 million according to celebritynetworth.com, has been a key part of the Phoenix Sun team for the last few seasons. The former Kentucky Wildcat has recently been talking about his younger days.
One of the things that Booker spoke about was the first person he asked an autograph for. According to him, that person was former Michigan State Spartans player Drew Neitzel, whom Brooker described as a:
"Grand Rapids legend"
This is not surprising considering that both Brooker and Neitzel grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The hype that surrounded Drew Neitzel when he was playing for the Spartans between the years of 2004-08 was huge.
During this period, Neitzel was one of the best players on the team and played a key part in sending Michigan State to the Final Four in 2005. There, they would lose to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
At the end of his college career, Neitzel had scored 1,534 points with 582 assists. This makes him one of only three Michigan State players to achieve this feat.
Additionally, he leads the Spartans in free throws percentage with an accuracy rate of .866% and ranks in the top 10 on many other metrics for the program.
His impact was felt well and truly in the Michigan community, having set up the Drew Neitzel basketball camp, which is held in Grand Rapids every year. Neitzel still makes appearances at this camp, which Devin Booker once attended as a young basketball player.
What has Devin Booker said about Drew Neitzel?
Drew Neitzel never was able to have an NBA career, unlike Devin Booker. But that did not stop him from being an inspiration for upcoming players, like Booker, at the time.
Booker once spoke to AZ Central about Neitzel and how getting his autograph made him feel.
“When I was younger, I looked up to a guy named Drew Neitzel, who played at Michigan State. He hosted a lot of camps. He was heavily involved in the Grand Rapids community. I remember when I got a signature from him, it was like getting an autograph from Michael Jordan.
"He signed my shirt and I wore it to school the very next day. I’ve never told him that, but I look forward to sharing that with him in the near future.”
This encounter had a positive effect on Booker and may have helped him to become the player he is today.
Currently, one of the star players for the Phoenix Sun, Devin Booker is now influencing the players of tomorrow in the Southwestern United States. This is what Neitzel did for him in Michigan.