“You could be the next great Lakers center, it’s up to you” – Mychal Thompson is willing to be the Deandre Ayton whisperer in Los Angeles originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have their center in Deandre Ayton, the big question is how they will make him play to his full potential.
Advertisement
Ayton is considered one of the most talented big men in the game today. However, after seven seasons in the NBA, he is nowhere near the player he was expected to be coming out of college.
Sure, he has always been a walking double-double. The Arizona product has career averages of 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game and is coming off a season where he put up 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, there are issues with his desire to become better. Some say he lacks motivation, others say he does not put in the effort and some say he has an attitude problem. Whatever it is, it’s clear that something is holding him back.
The Ayton whisperer?
Ayton recently talked to ESPN LA after his introductory press conference for the Lakers. During that interview, he spoke of the inspiration that Bahamian legend Mychal Thompson has given him and every other Bahamian kid who dreams of making it to the NBA one day.
Advertisement
After hearing that, Thompson’s co-hosts on the “Mason & Ireland” radio show on ESPN asked him if he was willing to mentor Ayton if he requested, especially since the former Phoenix Suns center seems to hold him in high regard.
“Definitely,” said Thompson. “Even when I see him, I’m gonna say, ‘Hey man, this is your chance to show everybody how good you are and the reason why you were the No.1 pick. Yeah, if we re-did the draft today, obviously Luka would go No.1, but you still might go No.2.” I’ll tell him, ‘You could be the next great Lakers center. It’s up to you.'”
Mychal was the first foreign-born player to be the No. 1 pick
Like Ayton, Thompson was the No.1 overall pick of his draft class. In 1978, he became the first foreign-born player to be drafted first overall in the NBA. Likewise, he was the first Bahamian player to be drafted into the league. Mychal was a member of the Lakers’ back-to-back title team in 1987-88 and is a legend in his native country, and Ayton acknowledged that during his ESPN interview.
Advertisement
“That is the grandfather of the whole thing. That is why we have hopes of being in the NBA, and the reason that the ball bounces on that island. That man right there, he opened the gates, for sure,” said Ayton.
Mychal graciously thanked Deandre for the flattering compliment but humbly declined to take credit for basketball’s rise in the Bahamas. Still, whether Ayton is right about Thompson’s impact or not, Mychal might be one of the few voices Deandre truly listens to. And if he can serve as the guiding presence, Ayton needs to stay locked in and focused; it could turn out to be a major win for the Lakers on and off the court.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.