Deandre Ayton Showing Off His ‘DominAyton’ Chain Amidst 0-3 Deficit Leaves Fans Fuming – “HibernAyton During the Playoffs”

Deandre Ayton has been a decent acquisition for the Los Angeles Lakers, but fans have generally expected more.

Deandre Ayton Showing Off His ‘DominAyton’ Chain Amidst 0-3 Deficit Leaves Fans Fuming – “HibernAyton During the Playoffs”

Deandre Ayton gets a new chain (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Deandre Ayton showcased his new diamond-encrusted 'DominAyton' chain on social media amid the Lakers' 0-3 playoff deficit.
  • Fans criticized Ayton for the timing of his luxury purchase, perceiving it as a lack of seriousness towards winning.
  • Analyst Stephen A. Smith suggested the Lakers should consider moving on from Ayton due to his perceived lack of effort and urgency.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Deandre Ayton this past offseason with the hope that he will finally be able to fulfil the potential he showed that led the Phoenix Suns to draft him No. 1 overall back in 2018.

The franchise would have been fine if he reached even 50% of that potential, as the team already has three superstars taking charge of scoring and playmaking.

This past season, the Bahamian showed flashes of his potential. Then, there were other times when he was not anywhere close to what the Lakers expect from him.

In the first round series against the Houston Rockets, Deandre Ayton played well, dominating the boards, and scored enough points to help LeBron James eventually overcome their opponents.

Maybe that is why the 27-year-old felt it was time for him to spend some of the $8 million he is earning this season. The center released a video on his Instagram page showing off his new chain.

The said chain is completely encrusted with diamonds, and features a big center piece that reads ‘DominAyton.’ The backside of it shows Atlas with the world on his shoulders and a message:

Leave a legacy of love, not just success.

The quote on the chain

The New York-based jeweler displayed the chain for the first time nearly a week ago. Ayton looks happy to see his vision turn into reality. The chain features a buckle that depicts the Lakers’ star carrying the world on his shoulders.

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Fans flame Deandre Ayton for senseless purchase amidst playoff woes

Deandre Ayton is one of those players who routinely finds himself in the target sights of those looking to troll someone. Be it his performance on the court or his actions off it, the Arizona Wildcat is a general source of humor.

In this instance, fans were furious simply because the center and his jeweler released this video on the same day the Lakers lost their second-straight game to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Fans felt that this proves just how unserious he is towards the goal of winning a championship. Almost every other reaction was negative, examples of which are below:

Had Ayton performed to his best despite the result, fans may have given him some leeway. But against OKC, he has struggled mightily, and that is why fans took offense to him releasing a video about his latest luxury purchase.

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Stephen A. Smith wants Lakers to move on from Deandre Ayton

Deandre Ayton’s chain became public knowledge once Bleacher Report posted the video on the social media platform X. Now that the Los Angeles Lakers are going to fight to avoid being swept in four games, discussions about his lack of effort reached First Take.

Deandre Ayton battling Alperen Sengun in the 1st round
Deandre Ayton battling Alperen Sengun in the 1st round (Image via RTNBA/X)

He plays 50% of the time as if he were lounging on the beach… If you’re the Lakers, you almost have to get him out of your locker room, just because of the effect that he will have on the other guys, because of this flagrant lack of urgency that he plays with.

Stephen A. Smith said

The longtime analyst and his colleagues were speaking about him without any knowledge of the chain. For him to suggest that the franchise should move on from him purely based on how he is playing is a summary of the frustrations fans have had all season.

Smith pointed out how Ayton has stayed the same since he arrived in the NBA. No development, either skill-wise or physically. That alone is a disservice to the game, and the Lakers should aim for better.

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