Sometimes the hardest thing for an athlete to do is admit they need to change.
DeAndre Ayton looked in the mirror after the Los Angeles Lakers road loss to the Denver Nuggets and had a moment of clarity. The former #1 pick realized he was holding his team back by trying to be something he didn't need to be.
"I just started looking in the mirror and said 'Yo bro, you're not that guy. You don't need to be on this team doing that at all," Ayton told reporters. "This team, you came here to be the effort guy and close out possessions, rebound, run the floor."
Let me tell you something. How many former #1 overall picks can say those words out loud? How many can admit they're not the focal point, not the go-to scorer, not "that guy"? Most can't. Their ego won't let them. But Ayton did, and it's transformed both him and the Lakers.
The Lakers (43-25) have won six straight games and nine of their last 10, with Ayton delivering strong performances throughout the streak. He's averaging career lows in minutes, points, and rebounds, but ask him if he cares.
"I'm not gonna lie, I'm having fun with it," Ayton said. "The team is trusting me, man. I just don't want to lose the trust, bro. That's really what's getting my juices going and me biting my fingernails waiting to get back in the game for real."
This is the kind of story that makes sports beautiful. Ayton is playing alongside LeBron James and Luka Dončić. He could pout about not getting touches. He could worry about his stats. He could be as he put it.
