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Patrick Beverley recalls heated locker room confrontation with Deandre Ayton, ‘Don’t ignore me’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 8:03 AM ET

Patrick Beverley spoke about one altercation he had with Deandre Ayton, and what he learned about the now-LA Lakers center.

Deandre Ayton may have struggled in his first game with the Los Angeles Lakers, but since then, he has bounced back quite well.

Ayton’s performance against Rudy Gobert last Friday proved that he can be the center the LA Lakers need to thrive in the Western Conference.

Derek Fisher believes Ayton can succeed with the Lakers in a way that many other centers in the past haven’t been able to.

Ayton has come a long way since his time with the Phoenix Suns, where the center was usually quite timid and shrank when confronted.

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Patrick Beverley forced Deandre Ayton into heated altercation

Patrick Beverley reflected on a previous incident he had with Deandre Ayton when Ayton was on the Phoenix Suns. Beverley admitted he forced Ayton into a confrontation in the locker room.

Durant tried telling Beverley, who was with the Chicago Bulls, to back off, but Beverley didn’t back off, and kept pressing Ayton to respond.

“I pushed his a– when I saw him in the back of the locker room, like ‘What’s up?’ He didn’t even look my way.

“What’s going on? What were you saying in the game?’

Ayton: ‘Come on, Pat, I’m just going to ignore you.’

Beverley: ‘Don’t ignore me.’

KD: “’Come on, Pat, chill. Stall him out.’

“’Nah, f— that. What’s up? What were you saying on the basketball court? You’re not saying anything [now]. That’s what I thought. Get the f— out of here.”

Patrick Beverley believes Deandre Ayton will benefit from playing with LeBron James

While Patrick Beverley didn’t appreciate how timid Deandre Ayton was back then, he thinks there is a monster waiting to burst out, especially when the Bahamian plays with LeBron James.

“A lot of people don’t like Deandre Ayton. I think he’s going to be better when LeBron comes back. I think he’s going to be a monster. I like him as a basketball player.”

So far, Ayton hasn’t gotten the chance to play with LeBron James, and has played just two games with Luka Doncic.

But in the three games that both stars have missed, Ayton has continued to perform well, averaging 18.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game.

If Ayton can sustain this level of production when both stars return, while also improving his rim protection, the LA Lakers will be a dangerous team.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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