The first big signing the Los Angeles Lakers made this offseason was bringing in center Deandre Ayton on a two-year contract. The team was in dire need of a big man after being dominated in the paint during the playoffs and Ayton fills that void in a big way.
Ayton has the size, strength and athleticism the Lakers need at the position and his skillset has the potential to fit in very well next to the superstar duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James. But despite being the first overall pick 2018 NBA Draft, not much is known about the big man, at least amongst Lakers fans.
And just as they did with fellow offseason signing Jake LaRavia, the Lakers would give Ayton a chance to introduce himself to the faithful and reveal some interesting things about him both on and off the court, via the Lakers’ YouTube channel:
It is always good to get to know different things about the players as it is a reminder that, even though they are NBA stars, they do a lot of the same things as anyone else. Case in point, Ayton is obviously a big time gamer, so much so that he brings his PlayStation with him on the road not just for fun, but because it really makes him feel at home. And there is no doubt he will have a couple of Lakers teammates happy to game with him.
It was also very interesting to hear his thoughts on being in the gym and working hard so that he’s never tired during games. The Lakers will be reliant on Ayton, so him being willing and able to play however many minutes needed on a nightly basis a good sign.
Ayton choosing the jersey number 5 as a sign of love and respect to his childhood friend who wore the number growing up also shows a different side of the big man. Ayton grew up in the Bahamas where there isn’t a ton of basketball history, but he saw the opportunity to give a shout out to someone who is important to him and that could motivate him even more to make a big impact with the Lakers.
Lakers’ Deandre Ayton discusses lessons learned in career so far
Deandre Ayton is set to enter his eighth NBA season and the new Lakers center discussed what he has learned throughout his time in the league so far.
“True professionalism,” Ayton said. “I feel like I’ve just been absent for a little bit in this league. And hard work, I’ve just been trying to put in as much work as I possibly can. When I’m on the floor, I want to really just show the world and prove to everybody that I am a winner. Any position I’m in, I just want to really win and sacrifice the way I did coming into this league.”
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