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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1972-08-20)August 20, 1972 (age 52) Pascagoula, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Moss Point (Moss Point, Mississippi) |
| College | Missouri (1990–1994) |
| NBA draft | 1994:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1994–2008 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 9, 14, 5 |
| Career history | |
| 1994–1995 | Hartford Hellcats |
| 1995 | Pittsburgh Piranhas |
| 1995–1996 | Grand Rapids Mackers |
| 1996 | Houston Rockets |
| 1996 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1996–1997 | Grand Rapids Hoops |
| 1997 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1998–1999 | Sony Milano |
| 1999–2002 | Scavolini Pesaro |
| 2002–2004 | Ülkerspor |
| 2006–2007 | Khimki |
| 2007–2008 | Olimpia Milano |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 166 (5.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 38 (1.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 74 (2.3 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Melvin Jermaine Booker (born August 20, 1972) is an American former professionalbasketball player. A 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 185 lb (84 kg)point guard, he played for theUniversity of Missouri.
Booker was a standout high school player inMoss Point, Mississippi. He averaged 28 points per game in his senior year and was named the player of the year in his class. Despite that, none of the major four-year schools from the region recruited him. Booker signed with Missouri, a school whose attention he caught during a prior recruitment run through the area. Missouri assistant coaches noticed him while they were scouting fellow Mississippi standoutsLitterial Green andChris Jackson.[1]
Booker was the 1994Big Eight Player of the Year, when he led Missouri to an undefeated conference record of 14–0 and an Elite Eight berth. He was also an allBig Eight selection in 1993 and 1994 and was a 1994 first-teamAll-American as a senior, when he averaged 18.1 points and 4.5 assists per game. In 1999, Booker was elected to the intercollegiate athletics Hall of Fame at theUniversity of Missouri.
Despite his accomplishments, Booker was not selected in the1994 NBA draft.
He played in theNBA for theHouston Rockets during the 1995–96 season; and theDenver Nuggets andGolden State Warriors, during the 1996–97 season, for 32 games.
While playing for theGrand Rapids Mackers in the 1995–1996CBA season, Booker met Veronica Gutiérrez. The two became close and had a son,Devin, who was born on October 30, 1996. The two never married and Gutiérrez would take care of their son Devin while his father played pro basketball in Europe and Asia. During the summers, Booker would bring his son to his games which helped to drive Devin's interest in basketball.[2] After Melvin Booker retired from pro basketball in 2008, he returned to his hometown ofMoss Point, Mississippi and brought his son with him so he could help train him to become a successful basketball player. Booker was hired as an assistant coach for basketball at his alma mater,Moss Point High School, in 2011.[2]
His only child,Devin Booker, played for theUniversity of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team during their nearly undefeated2014–15 NCAA season, was then drafted by and plays for thePhoenix Suns.[3][4]
and Basketball Reference