"Everybody and They Mama Have Been Saying That": Deandre Ayton Calls Out Career-Ending Narratives After Joining Lakers

Deandre Ayton has shut down his doubters after a phenomenal run with the LA Lakers. Ayton joined the Purple and Gold on a two-year $16.2 million deal in July. When the move to LA was announced, critics were quick to downplay the former No. 1 pick's impact, especially after his trade value sank in Portland and led to him being bought out.

Many even considered this to be Ayton's last straw in the league, presuming that his NBA career could end if the Lakers didn't yield the desired results. Ayton didn't address those narratives at the time. He put his head down and averaged 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds on 69.2% shooting in his first 13 games in LA.

On Sunday, the former NBA finalist didn't hold back on those narratives. During an interview with The Athletic's Dan Woike, Ayton called out his detractors, saying:

"They say if this s— don’t work out for me, this is my last year," he said. "Everybody and they mama have been saying that."

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Deandre Ayton's contributions have played a significant role in the Lakers' being 10-4. His production, along with a few other role players, has filled the void left by superstar LeBron James, who has yet to make his season debut due to sciatica.

Ayton has held his own against All-NBA caliber opponents, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama and Bam Adebayo. After initial concerns about his pick-and-roll chemistry with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Ayton has done a fantastic job of meshing with LA's lead ball handlers.

He's connected with Reaves on 27 field goals, while his partnership with Doncic has led to 25 makes.

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Deandre Ayton's resurgence gives the LA Lakers tremendous luxury in the trade market

Deandre Ayton has emerged as the ideal candidate for the LA Lakers as a starting center and not just as a stopgap addition. Filling that void was the biggest concern for the team, one where Rob Pelinka and Co. could have been forced to spend their only tradeable first-round pick in the offseason.

However, Ayton's resurgence now allows the Lakers to use those tradeable assets to fill other holes, mainly their perimeter defense. The Lakers don't have a reliable point of attack presence, who is also serviable offensively outside of Marcus Smart. The modern NBA demands teams to have more such threats.

The Lakers can use the only tradeable first-round pick at the deadline or retain it and have three firsts to trade in the 2026 offseason.

Edited by Arhaan Raje