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Devin Booker gifts Arkansas basketball team new shoes before Sweet 16

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•03/27/25•

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Photo by Christian Petersen | Getty Images

Devin Booker played at Kentucky but he’s still connected to now Arkansas head coach John Calipari. On Thursday, Arkansas‘ official men’s basketball account on X posted a photo and video of the shoes that Booker gifted to the Razorbacks squad ahead of their Sweet 16 showdown against Texas Tech.

Booker is one of many guards who played under Calipari at Kentucky and found soaring success in the NBA. Booker is a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection. Additionally, he was one of many former Kentucky players who were shocked when Calipari left Kentucky for Arkansas last spring.

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Devin Booker said, per The Spun. “Some people asked me during the season as if they knew it was coming, but I just kept thinking that I couldn’t see him leaving Lexington.

“It’s strange, man. It’s something that I didn’t expect, but I hope it’s a great situation for him and his family. I saw Arkansas posted a picture of him on campus. It’s a different dynamic seeing him in red, but I wish the best for him.”

In fairness to Kentucky fans, Booker also gifted new Wildcats head coach Mark Pope a pair of Book 1s ahead of this season. Alas, the Phoenix Suns star evidently didn’t feel the need to gift the Wildcats with some fresh gear for the second weekend of March Madness.

“And most importantly, this Devin Booker is a superstar man,” Pope said when showing off Booker’s gift in the preseason. “You think about Devin Booker, came here and played on one of the all-time great teams in Kentucky, never started a game, played 20 minutes a game, on a great team that ran the table, except one game.

“Dude’s going to be the MVP in the NBA here this year, the next year, or the year after. It’s incredible. He’s a great ambassador for this game and certainly a great ambassador for Kentucky. I thought it was pretty swaggy, I thought I’d show you that. It felt good.”

Booker only spent one season at Kentucky under Calipari before taking his talents to the next level. Booker averaged 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 21.5 minutes per game to help Kentucky reach the Final Four.

For his efforts, he was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, an All-SEC Freshman Team selection and an All-SEC Second Team selection. Thankfully for Booker, Kentucky and Arkansas aren’t playing each other in the Sweet Sixteen, so he’ll be able to root for his alma mater and his head coach simultaneously.