Booker tries to raise stakes with Durant on Lions vs Commanders bet

On January 19, 2025By Littum

DETROIT – Devin Booker is trying to raise the bar on this bet with Kevin Durant on Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game between Detroit Lions and Washington’s commanders at Ford Field.

“I’m anything but we’re the favorites,” Booker, a loyal Lions fan, said after Thursday’s win over the Washington Wizards in D.C. “I don’t know if he’ll be ready for it. We’ll see.”

Let’s do this.

“It’s whatever, man,” said Durant, a diehard Commanders fan from Washington DC, “whatever he wants to do, man. I feel confident.”

Booker and Durant plan to attend the playoff game that starts four hours after the Suns (20-20) tip against Detroit Pistons (21-20) at 2:00 PM MST at the nearby Little Caesars Arena. The NFL game begins at 18.00 MST.

There is less than a mile between the Lions’ domed stadium and the Pistons’ arena.

“Pretty sweet the schedules were able to match up and we’re good to go,” Durant said. “We play right before them. Check out the game. Root for the guys to get it done.”

Forecast?

“If I had to, I’d say us, 24-21,” Durant said.

Booker said earlier this week that he and Durant agreed that NBA unemployment benefits should be the stake.

NBA per diem for players is $161 per day on the road.

The Suns are in the midst of a five-game road trip that spans a total of 10 days from when Phoenix heads to Atlanta on Monday for Tuesday’s game against the Hawks until Jan. 22, when they travel after playing in Brooklyn.

If Booker and Durant count every day, that’s a total of $1,610 per diem for each of them.

Sounds like low stakes for two expensive players.

Durant alone is set to receive $51.2 million this season, while Booker is in the first season of his four-year supermax deal that will pay him $49.2 million this season.

No matter what is at stake, bragging rights will surely satisfy the victory.

“I had high expectations, man, for us to just go out there and play a great brand of Commanders football,” Durant said. “It’s a good thing to say when you’ve got an identity. I feel that we have gained an identity as a football team. We didn’t have that for a long time. I’m excited. It will be a fun game.”

The back-and-forth banter between Booker and Durant started in the Suns’ locker room after last Sunday’s home win over Charlotte.

The Commanders stunned Tampa Bay with a walk-off field goal in wild card action on the same day to set up a divisional matchup against the Lions, who earned a bye.

Booker and Durant were all too excited to get the chance to watch the playoffs since the Suns had already planned to stay in Detroit after their game against the Pistons.

The Suns fly out Sunday before Monday’s game in Cleveland on Martin Luther King Day.

So Booker will be at Ford Field Saturday night. So will Durant.

Just don’t expect them to share the same space.

“Of course not,” Durant said. “Don’t sit next to that man in blue.”

This will be Booker’s second opportunity to see a professional team from his home country in the postseason.

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Booker participated in the Detroit Tigers Game 3 victory on October 9, 2024 over Cleveland in the American League Division Series at Comerica Park.

The Suns played a preseason game the day before against the Pistons at Michigan State University. Team owner Mat Ishbia is a Michigan State alum who was on the Spartans’ 2000 men’s basketball national championship team as a walk-on.

Now Booker will see his Lions in the NFL playoffs for the first time.

“It’s pretty crazy how the games line up,” Booker said. “I caught a Tigers playoff game, the first of my life, and now this is going to be the first NFL playoff game. The stars aligned. It’s a perfect situation. We want to celebrate.”

Do you have opinions about the current state of the sun? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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