Some people were skeptical about Deandre Ayton when the Los Angeles Lakers signed him in July, especially given his effort and attitude issues the previous two seasons while with the Portland Trail Blazers. But so far this season, he has been a positive element on and off the court.
He’s averaging 15.3 points and nine rebounds a game, and he has shown plenty of consistent effort on the boards. He has also made the most of the easy opportunities his teammates have given him at or near the rim, to the tune of an incredible 71% field-goal accuracy.
Away from the court, Ayton has been congenial with the media, and he has also looked to help the underprivileged. Several weeks ago, Hurricane Melissa devastated the Bahamas, where Ayton was born, and the category 5 storm caused tens of billions of dollars of damage while killing dozens of people.
The big man has helped the relief efforts in Jamaica by committing $100,000 toward recovery. As a result, he earned the Bob Lanier NBA Community Assist Award, and his team surprised him with the award.
“I don’t know what to say, but thank you,” Ayton told his teammates upon being presented with the award.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation will donate $20,000 to the Ayton Family Foundation (AFF) to recognize Ayton and further help in the recovery efforts.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Deandre Ayton earns NBA Community Assist Award
