King of Excuses NBA's Deandre Ayton Blames Mattress For Bad Play
Former No. 1 NBA Draft pick Deandre Ayton once blamed icy conditions outside his place in Portland for not attending a game in January.
Now, the Trail Blazers center blames his poor performances from early this season on the air mattress he slept on.
Ayton, 25, doesn't sound ready to be an adult.
READ: Trail Blazers' Deandre Ayton Misses Game Due To 'Icy Conditions' That Stranded Him At Home
The King of Excuses is truly unmatched. Now that Ayton's game has woken up, and he's playing back to his elite standard, the $32 million-per-year player is answering his haters, resting the blame on an inflatable mattress.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 14: Deandre Ayton #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Moda Center on March 14, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 14: Deandre Ayton #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Moda Center on March 14, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Speaking with Oregon Live, Ayton said his body felt out of whack, leading to a disappointing start to his season with a new team.
Ayton confessed, "My body wasn't just my body,' he said. 'People forget the humane difference of me adjusting to everything.
"Just being comfortable in waking up," Ayton added. "I didn't have a bed for quite some time. I was on an air mattress. Just trying to figure this out," he said.
Ayton was selected by the Suns in 2018 and played five seasons in Phoenix.
Just imagine being a pro athlete paid tens of millions per season and never having the common sense to make a small adjustment, such as changing mattresses, to improve your quality of sleep and play.
Reactions on X weren't as sympathetic to Ayton's reticence toward buying a new mattress.
"Couldn’t afford a nice mattress with that $32M a year contract?" one X user asked.
Another added, "So he was sleeping on an air mattress in Phoenix also? You know, beds can be moved." All common-sense answers that a millionaire athlete could not figure out.
Deandre Ayton (22) of the Phoenix Suns shoots a free throw against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 7 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals on May 15, 2022, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Getty Images)
What Ayton did figure out was his role for the 14th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, albeit too late in the year. Ayton plays 32.3 minutes a night, averaging 15.7 points and 11.1 rebounds.
Sure, a 7-foot human is likely in need of a special accommodation for his bed. But to be this bad at surviving in a new city can't be pardoned.
"Most definitely. Coming into these games, I'm trying to do everything,' Ayton noted in his interview. "Not just my requirements for this team but doing a lot more. And that's where I am. I'm just more dominant. People like to laugh at it, but that's the truth.
"I got all the money in the world but at the same time, some of this is inhumane where money don't matter, just having your people and the support you need."
Follow along on X:@AlejandroAveela