Deandre Ayton begins the next chapter of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Following a two-year stint with the Portland Trail Blazers, the former overall pick, Deandre Ayton, has joined the iconic Los Angeles Lakers.
After negotiating the acquisition of the deal with Trail Blazers, Ayton signed a two-year deal for just $16.6 million. Now it’s a huge steal.
Speaking of Lakers Ayton, it’s the perfect time to revisit what franchise legend Shaquille O’Neal told him in 2018.
Ayton, the top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft as a center, was clearly compared to the big Aristotle, as many expected him to have a similar career trajectory to Shaq.
But when O’Neal felt it, he had a simple yet meaningful message to the then-Phoenix Suns star.
“I keep hearing that this Ayton guy can become the next SHAQ. My advice to Ayton is not to become the next Shaq. It will be the first Ayton. I hope you will break all my records.” Suns’ official X-handle shared O’Neal’s message in 2018.
O’Neal is a Hall of Fame and has won many accolades that have been praised during his career, including four NBA championships, but he did not want Ayton to follow in his footsteps.
Instead, he urged the talented center to carve out his own NBA legacy in his career.
Getting messages of all sorts from legendary figures like Shaq is a dream for young prospects.
As expected, Aiton was raised after he found the message Shack had for him.
“After this, I need to say I can write it down and leave it in my room. It’s the motivation to keep me moving right now,” Ayton said via X’s Gina Mzell.
Fast forward to 2025, Ayton will soon wear the iconic purple and gold jersey. This is Ayton’s eighth season in his NBA career. He plays under his favourite manager JJ Reddick.
So far, Ayton has averaged 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 398 contests in the league. This isn’t close to O’Neill’s career average with 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
However, as a motive for O’Neal in 2018, Ayton needs to find his own identity in the league. Can he do that as a member of the Lakers? Only time can be seen.