Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton did not dominate in the first game of the season on Tuesday. Ayton finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four turnovers in the Lakers’ 119-109 loss over the Golden State Warriors. Although he had one block, the errors he had on the floor were more evident to fans and critics. This led to former center Shaquille O’Neal calling him out on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” on Wednesday.
During the offseason, Ayton was pursued by the front office to pair him with All-Star guard Luka Doncic. The Lakers viewed the Bahamian center as a perfect fit alongside his fellow 2018 draftee. DA is offensive-minded and could excel in a situation where he has an elite pass-first guard on the floor.
Ayton has witnessed personally how the Lakers are viewed unfavorably by the media and fans, with only one game remaining in the new year. O’Neal issued his demands for the former No. 1 pick.
“Listen Deandre, ‘Domin-Ayton,’ that performance yesterday, I need you to step it up my boy. You got to do three things. You got to rebound and you got to block shots and you got to dominate,” O’Neal said.
“The pressure’s not on you, you got two great players that get double a lot. When they make that little bounce pass, catch it and throw it down. You had a small guy guarding you in the post, you turn around and shoot a fadeaway. That’s not going to get it done. We need you brother, we need you to step it up.”
SHAQ WITH A MESSAGE FOR DEANDRE AYTON 👀 pic.twitter.com/kDOfJLrNxb
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) October 22, 2025
O’Neal has always been critical of certain big men, and now he’s put his crosshairs on Deandre Ayton.
Charles Barkley was disappointed with Deandre Ayton’s debut
Without LeBron James on the floor, critics like Charles Barkley thought it would allow Deandre Ayton to take full advantage and be aggressive for the Lakers. However, it was a different story for the former Arizona center.
Barkley was disappointed with what he saw from Ayton.
“If DeAndre Ayton does not play great, the Lakers ain’t gonna beat the top teams in the West,” Chuck said.
“You know what bothered me about it, too? He should have been on fire last night,” Barkley said. “Because with no LeBron, he should’ve said, ‘Oh, I’m going to get LeBron’s shots tonight. He should be a 20-10 guy without LeBron. Easily. Not even 20. Without LeBron, he should be a 25 guy.”
The Lakers are touted to be a team that would potentially make the NBA Finals this season. But for that to happen, the team needs more from Ayton, especially since James is on the sidelines with a sciatica-related issue.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
