Deandre Ayton’s instant reaction to LeBron James-oops

Deandre Ayton they may never take the next step in their career. He could just be an impressive center who hasn’t reached true stardom. The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans understand the kind of player the 2018 No. 1 overall pick is, but they want him to play with palpable energy and joy. He certainly did that during exciting third quarter sequence on Friday 125-122 win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Austin Reeves did great LeBron Jameswho quickly served the ball for Ayton. The layup extended the Lakers’ lead to 14 and fired up the home crowd at Cripto.com Arena, but it also showed the impact the 27-year-old big man can make when his instincts are on point. He ran the floor beautifully and read James’ eyes perfectly, and the end result was a big play that gave LA huge momentum (at least for now).

Aiton was incredibly grateful to be part of such a rhythmic experience on the basketball court, and it will keep him for a long time. “It was one of the highlights of my career,” he said of the fast break, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I needed that one.”

LeBron James throws it to Deandre Ayton SLAM 🍿😤

pic.twitter.com/1VieV5zICL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 21, 2026

Deandre Ayton could be the X-factor on this team. If he can be at full strength, the Lakers should be a legitimate title contender. But which version of Ayton will appear on the floor?

The former Arizona Wildcats star had a modest 13 points and seven rebounds against the Clippers. His scoring will naturally decline alongside offensive dynasties like Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, but he could still make a visible difference on the glass.

Ayton is averaging a career-low 8.4 rebounds per game (his minutes are a little off, but the statement still applies at 36 minutes). The Lakers are grabbing 40.9 boards per contest, which ranks 28th in the NBA. They need it to be strong in color.

He is averaging a double-double for his career. This is not a role-playing game. It’s time to remind everyone what he is capable of achieving. Maybe the alley can be a precursor and Deandre Ayton’s reawakening.

The play obviously made an impression on him. He’ll look to build on that when Los Angeles (34-21) welcomes the Boston Celtics (36-19) this Sunday night.