Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton said his new teammates have been deliberately riling him up before every game, a tactic he believes is helping him bring more aggression to the court.
After Sunday night’s 122-116 win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center, Ayton explained that several players target him with playful trash talk in the locker room to spark his competitive edge.
“They all have their own little things to get in my head,” Ayton told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “My wings and my forwards try to get me ticked off before these games just to get me rolling. I like it, man. I haven’t had that in a while where dudes really care.”
The approach appears to be working. Against Sacramento on Oct. 26, 2025, Ayton delivered his strongest performance since joining Los Angeles, finishing with 22 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Three nights earlier, he outplayed Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, and before that he held his own against Domantas Sabonis.
Ayton emphasized that the pregame prodding feels supportive, not hostile. “I’m honored. They don’t have to do that,” he said. “They’re always messing with me, talking basketball—or just trolling at the end of the day. It makes me play hard when it counts.”
Through his first three games in purple and gold, the former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 15.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, numbers that align with what the Lakers envisioned when they signed him last summer. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves initiating most of the offense, Ayton added that he is focused on “letting the game come to him,” particularly in pick-and-roll situations.
Los Angeles returns to the floor Tuesday when it hosts the Denver Nuggets, and Ayton expects the locker-room banter to continue right up until tipoff.
Source: Lakers Nation
