Deandre Ayton enjoyed his biggest performance yet with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.
Without LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the big man helped the Lakers win against the Sacramento Kings.
Austin Reeves scored 51 points in the win, but Ayton also contributed to Los Angeles’ second win of the season.
He had 22 points and 15 rebounds, reminding basketball fans of what he can do when he plays hard.
In his postgame interview, Ayton revealed what his Lakers teammates do to motivate him to perform like that.
- read more: NBA fans share their immediate reactions to Luka Doncic’s ‘terrible’ injury news
Ayton’s talent has never been questioned since he joined the Arizona Wildcats in college.
The 27-year-old’s problem throughout his NBA career has been that he has rarely shown enough determination to reach his potential.
Although it was just one game, Ayton showed great competitiveness in the Lakers vs. Kings game.
“They all have their own little things that mess with my head,” said Ayton, who credits his teammates with inspiring him.
“AR is my player, Luka is my player, but my wingers and forwards try to get me excited, to cheer me up before the game.
“I’m starting to think it’s a trend. You can’t take a break until you’re on the court, so from then on it’s all seriousness.
“It’s like, ‘This is what you want to do. You want to cheer me up.'” I like it. My teammates are starting to get to know me. People haven’t really cared about me for a while. ”
Deandre Ayton only joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent this summer, but he’s already feeling comfortable in his new surroundings.
He credits team leaders LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves for already making him feel so welcome, even if it meant making jokes at his expense.
“I’m working on it. They don’t have to do that,” Ayton said. “When I walked in here, they gave me open arms.
“When you see the head honchos like LeBron, AR, Luka, they don’t leave me alone…they’re always picking on me and talking basketball.
“We don’t even have to talk about basketball. They’re just trolling. They love my reactions and everything.
“It catches some of them off guard, and I love that. Trust me, it just makes it harder to play. That’s what’s important now.”