Devin Booker's high school gym damaged by tornado

Severe storms and tornadoes have wreaked havoc across the South this week, including the small town of Moss Point, Mississippi. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s where Devin Booker spent his sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school.

Moss Point High School, where Booker blossomed into a four/five-star recruit, was significantly damaged by the tornado that hit the town on Monday. Part of the roof of Arthur Haynes Gym was torn off, leading to water damage throughout the facility. The volleyball team was in the gym when the storm hit and took shelter, along with ten adults also in the facility. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

You can see the hole in the roof in the back of this photo from WLOX:

School Superintendent Dr. Oswago Harper told WLOX the press box of the football stadium was also ripped off and the softball/baseball complex was significantly damaged.

In December, Booker returned to Moss Point High School to have his jersey retired alongside his father, Melvin’s. Melvin Booker was a standout player at Moss Point before going to Missouri and, eventually, the NBA. After his professional career was over, Melvin moved back to Moss Point, and Devin followed, leaving his mother’s home in Grand Rapids, Michigan to live and train with his dad. He led the Tigers to the 4A state finals in 2014, scoring 42 points in the championship game. He announced his commitment to Kentucky in Arthur Haynes Gym on October 31, 2013.

Booker invited his Phoenix Suns teammates to his jersey retirement ceremony, during which he announced plans to install a new court and locker rooms at the gym, which he and his dad called “The Dungeon.” In 2021, Booker and his foundation also helped renovate two outdoor courts in Moss Point.

“It brought a lot of out me,” Booker said of Moss Point High School, via the Arizona Republic. “I think there were some things within me that I had to learn and figure out, starting with confidence. That’s what a lot of people go through in high school. Confidence, grit. This is a work town and everybody takes a lot of pride in this city and this town. I’m one of those people that stand on the city of Moss Point.”

According to Moss Point residents, the destruction from yesterday’s tornado was worse than that from Hurricane Katrina, with at least 100 structures either damaged or destroyed and six people injured.