Getty Damion Lee reacts during a contest between the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks.
Much has been said and written about what the Golden State Warriors lost during the summer, as the team was essentially forced to reimagine its entire second unit. Sure, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody were already earmarked for larger roles, but the club also incurred some brutal losses.
Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. both leaving was a particularly stiff shot after the ballers played key roles in bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to the Bay.
However, Damion Lee’s move from Golden State to the Valley of the Sun after four mostly good years was a big one, too, and not just because he’s Steph’s bro-in-law. When Lee was at his best, he was a capable defender, a respectable deep threat and a glue guy for the Dubs.
If his wild first game with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday was any indication, he may have been all that and more again this season had the Warriors chosen to retain him. And Steph was over the moon about the effort.
Ex-Dubs Fave Lee Comes Alive, Hits Game-Winner & Steph Reacts
With just 32.8 seconds remaining in the Suns’ opener versus the Dallas Mavericks, Lee got beat on the defensive end by Luka Doncic, who drew a foul and got an and-one to even the score at 105 apiece. It wouldn’t take long for the soon-to-be 30-year-old to make amends, though.
On the ensuing possession, Lee hit an incredibly difficult, fadeaway J from the baseline to give Phoenix a two-point edge with less than 10 seconds left to play.
The shot ended up being the game-winner, and shortly after Lee hit it, Steph took to Instagram to post a clip of himself (embedded above) hooting, hollering and even waking up his children in celebration. Given Lee’s performance, though, he probably gets a mulligan for the parenting faux pas.
In any case, Lee did a lot more to get Steph hyped than just hit a big shot at the end.
After trailing by as many as 22 points in the contest — and 15 with less than nine minutes left to play — the Suns went on an epic run to get back into the contest. And instead of Chris Paul or Devin Booker, it was Lee who led the comeback charge (his late foul notwithstanding).
The former Warrior scored all 11 of his points and nailed three triples while playing the entirety of the final frame.
In the wake of the shot and the win that it brought, Booker paid Lee, as well as his old team, some major compliments.
Booker Thanks the Warriors for Playing a Role in the Win
During his post-game media availability, Booker couldn’t contain his excitement over Lee’s big night and the baller’s game-deciding jumper. He apparently wasn’t all that surprised by it, though.
“It’s unbelievable,” Booker said of the performance. “But I knew it was coming. He knows how to play the game the right way.”
Clearly, a lot of the credit for Lee’s development from a fringe prospect and a two-way guy to an NBA regular who understands how to win goes to the player himself. That said, Booker is keenly aware that his new teammate’s background with the Dubs played a significant role in that evolution, too.
“Big ups to Golden State. They have that culture, they have that environment and you can see it’s instilled in them and that’s how they’ve been as successful as they’ve been.”