NBA news: There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the Phoenix Suns this offseason, and it’s mostly because of their decision to bring in Bradley Beal as the latest member of their new-look Big 3. Somewhat overshadowed by all the noise is Deandre Ayton and his uncertain future with the squad. In spite of the unending trade rumors, however, it sounds like Phoenix intends to keep their starting center in town for at least another season.
NBA News: Deandre Ayton Calls Out The Unwarranted Hate
Unless you’re a professional basketball player, there’s really no way to understand how it must feel to be a perpetual trade candidate. This is exactly the case for Ayton in Phoenix as he constantly sees his name dragged into trade rumors at virtually every turn.
He’s not the most-loved player in the NBA either. Even some Suns fans have turned on him through the years. The former No. 1 overall pick’s current situation is not exactly ideal, and he’s now painted a brutally honest picture of the harsh reality he’s living in right now:
“I can feel the whole world hating me in a way,” Ayton said on a recent interview, via Colum Dell of Yardbarker. “I’m the guy a lot of people point at and I see it and feel it, but mainly what I’ve been working on five to six days a week since we’ve lost is just motivating myself to change the narrative of what people think about me.”
“No matter how you put it, I feel like I have no fans out there and I can feel it because the whole world is saying it. My goal over the summer is to change the narrative. Just unlock whatever it is and just completely just focus on me and change the whole thing.”
That’s just sad to hear and you can’t help but feel for this young man. The silver lining here is that time and time again, Ayton has exhibited his mental fortitude. A lesser man would have given up in his situation, but for his part, the 6-foot-11 big man just keeps on fighting on. In fact, he’s using all the negativity as fuel to make him a better player and a better person. Don’t be surprised if Deandre Ayton shocks the world with another breakout campaign in 2023-24.
NBA News: Revisiting Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Championship Block On Deandre Ayton
The 2021 NBA Finals between the Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks was not short of memorable moments. However, one that absolutely stands out is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s series-shifting block on Ayton in Game 4 of that series.
Thanks to Giannis’ clutch block on what would have been a momentum-shifting alley-oop dunk by Ayton, the Bucks were able to secure the victory to tie the series up at 2-2:
Ayton would have been celebrated as one of the biggest heroes of that game, and the Suns would have gone on to take a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 series lead against Milwaukee. Unfortunately for him, Giannis Antetokounmpo happened.
To some extent, you could say that the Bucks talisman had some sort of impact on Ayton’s career trajectory with the Suns.
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