Dunks, dunks and more dunks. And Deandre Ayton was part of it all.
If you’re a fan of high-flying acrobatics, Friday night was for you as the top rookies and sophomores tipped off All-Star weekend with the 2019 MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars. Ayton received the starting nod on Team World as he was joined by Lauri Markkanen, Luka Doncic, Ben Simmons and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The Big Fella began to show out during the second quarter, beginning with a one-handed rim rocker to make his presence known. He followed this up by putting his ball skills on display with a full court assist to Josh Okogie.
By halftime Ayton had six points, four rebounds and three assists, but Devin Booker was there to encourage his teammate to make the most out of the game.
“He was telling me how it’s a friendly game, but you’ve still go to really try to destroy each other on the low,” Ayton said.
He must have taken that advice to heart as his top play of the night came in the third quarter. Following a missed shot from Team World, Ayton soared through the paint for a dunk-contest-worthy reverse putback slam.
Between alley-oops, his battle on the boards and his ability to find his teammates, Ayton filled the stat sheet finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists in his All-Star weekend debut. Although Team World fell to Team USA 161-144, it was still a memorable experience for the Suns rookie.
“It’s just a lot of fast pace basketball,” Ayton said. “It was a lot of fun, a lot of dunks. We were competing, but we were competing in a fun way.”
Not only did Ayton enjoy the game, but the comradery that was built up between the rising stars of the NBA made the event all the more special.
“It was like a top 25 camp. Ayton said. “We’re competing, but at the end of the day, off the court, you’re around each other 24/7. It’s kind of what it was here. There’s certain guys that have bigger relationships than others, but people see that and it’s contagious. You’re going to end up talking. We’re athletes. We’re not guys who stick to ourselves.”
Ayton’s weekend isn’t over yet as he and Bogdanovic join Nikola Jokic and Nikola Vucevic to coach the top international prospects at the fifth annual Basketball Without Borders Global Camp on Saturday.