HE'S widely considered to be one of America's top sports stars and recently became the highest paid player in the NBA with a £234million extension with the Phoenix Suns.
But Devin Booker is now facing his biggest challenge yet – as pals tell me why he's in crisis over whether he wants to rekindle things with Kendall Jenner one last time.
Just last week Kendall, 29, and Devin, 28, sent the rumour mill into overdrive as they were spotted at the same hotel. While pals insisted it was just a coincidence, those close to the star believe Devin is back on the scene for the fourth time.
An insider revealed: "They have a great connection, and this 'on-again, off-again' relationship is very frustrating for both of them."
And it seems Devin's main worry is what would happen if it all went wrong again, citing the infamous 'Kardashian curse,' as a major concern.
Over the years fans of the family have watched on in horror as a series of high profile men have seen their star falling after hooking up with one the famous sisters – from Lamar Odom who was married to Khloe to Kim's ex Kanye West.
And now, Devin is concerned he could suffer the same fate and is terrified he'll lose everything he's worked so hard for – but at the same time, he can't keep away.
The insider told us: "There's always one thing that's in the back of his mind: the Kardashian, and by extension, Jenner, curse.
"He isn't that superstitious, but it's on his mind, and he can't stop thinking about how James Harden, Tristan Thompson, and Lamar Odom fared after dating or being in a relationship with one of the Kardashian sisters."
Fans of the family will remember some of their most disastrous relationships.
Kim's marriage to Kanye ended in divorce in 2022 with the rapper going on to lose millions in branding deals and endorsements after a series of wild online rants.
Khloe's union to basketball star Lamar Odom in 2009 also didn't have the best of endings.
There were cheating and drug abuse allegations, and his glittering career came crashing down.
Kourtney's ex Younes Bendjima – who had an on/off romance with the star from 2016-2020 – has since disappeared into obscurity after publicly slamming her.
Others who haven't fared too well include Tyga, Kris Humphries and Blac Chyna, who shares a daughter with Rob Kardashian.
The insider continued: "That kind of stops [Devin] from taking the relationship to the next step sometimes, and Kendall thinks that this kind of theory is pretty ridiculous and doesn't make much sense. That's something that makes her angry, and they argue about this sometimes as he takes this kind of thing very seriously.
"It is a genuine concern. Devin is quite literally at the top of his game and he doesn't want anything to jeopardise that."
Power struggle
Devin's career is going from strength to strength, thanks to the history-making pay cheque, two gold medals in the Olympics and being named his team's all-time leading scorer.
But since he first started dating Kendall in 2020, he's faced backlash from basketball and Kardashian fans alike.
Devin's loyal followers were initially concerned he was being used as Kendall has previously dated two other NBA players – Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons.
He is a guy that likes his freedom and independence, and he sometimes doesn't call or text her for a few days
Sources at the time feared the relationship was a distraction, saying: "Devin has so much untapped potential that seemed to go by the wayside while he was dating Kendall."
His teammates were also said to be annoyed by his lack of focus.
Two years after getting together they called it quits, reportedly struggling with their demanding jobs.
Kenny briefly dated Bad Bunny, who later released a track which appeared to diss Devin, sparking outrage amongst his fans who feared for his reputation.
Bad Bunny sang: "I'm not bad, baby that's a gimmick / But the sun in Puerto Rico is hotter than in Phoenix / She knows it."
But despite the public humiliation, in 2024, rumours started swirling that she was back with Devin and the pair have been seen together on-and-off since.
Kendall is said to be keen to make things work but is struggling with Devin's lack of maturity – especially when it comes to his thoughts on the 'curse' and seems to be aware this won't end with wedding bells.
Speaking last year about her love life, Kendall told Vogue: "Relationships mean so much to me. And I can't wait to have a life with someone one day, to have kids, to create a family."
Unfortunately it doesn't look like Devin will be that man, as a source close to Kendall told us: "She loves him very much, and she knows that he isn't the right guy to marry, but she sticks to this relationship and sees him every time she can.
"They meet in New York, they meet in L.A., they meet in Phoenix, but she also feels like she is being a bit dragged around by him as he isn't really showing any sign that he wants to take it to the next level.
"He is a guy that likes his freedom and independence, and he sometimes doesn't call or text her for a few days, and he doesn't see the problem with it. Kendall sees this as a lack of respect and maturity, and she hates it so much, but she keeps seeing him and spending time with him.
"There is a real power struggle going on between the pair of them."
They added: "She has a strong bond with him, but she also knows that he isn't husband material. She thinks more and more that her future husband should be someone not famous, not a celebrity, or anyone that everyone knows."
And it's perhaps not surprising that she feels like that judging by some of the disasters her sisters have had over the years with men.
The Kardashian Curse – real or fake?
The Kardashian/Jenners are famed for dating well-known personalities including successful footballers, basketball stars, and rappers.
Romancing a Kardashian/Jenner and joining the infamous reality TV tribe means a life changed forever – and it's not always positive.
As Kylie herself so eloquently put it: "The Kardashian curse is every male figure that comes and dates a Kardashian. Their life kind of just goes downhill after that."
And Kendall has made her feelings clear about the curse in the past, slamming the victim mentality.
She said: "What I don't like about this narrative is that the blame is on us. I think the men need to take that responsibility.
"I think that we're all extremely giving and caring and loving women. And, when there is a man in our lives we like, give everything to them and as a family, we all love them so much. It's almost offensive, personally."
Do Kendall and Devin have what it takes to break the curse? She's certainly got him under her spell but only time will tell.
How rich are the Kardashians?
The Kardashian sisters are known for their extreme wealth, but which of them has the most money?
- Kourtney Kardashian – net worth £52 million
- Kim Kardashian -net worth £1.3 billion
- Khloe Kardashian – net worth £48 million
- Kendall Jenner – net worth £48 million
- Kylie Jenner – net worth £545 million
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