Suns' Deandre Ayton Says He Has 'No Fans out There,' Wants to 'Change the Narrative'

The past year has been tough for Deandre Ayton.

For one, the Phoenix Suns center has been included in seemingly endless trade rumors. He also saw his relationship with former Suns head coach Monty Williams deteriorate.

However, those two things don't appear to be bothering him as much as the criticism he has received from fans since sitting out a Game 6 elimination loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals due to a rib contusion

While speaking with Eyewitness News Bahamas, Ayton said he feels that the "whole world" is hating on him and that he hopes to "change the narrative" when he returns to the court in 2023-24.

Ayton said, as transcribed by Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic:

"I can feel the whole world hating me in a way. I'm the guy a lot of people point at and I see it and feel it, but mainly what I've been working on five to six days a week since we've lost is just motivating myself to change the narrative of what people think about me. "

"No matter you put it, I feel like I have no fans out there and I can feel it because the whole world is saying it. My goal is over the summer is to change the narrative. Just unlock whatever it is and just completely just focus on me and change the whole thing."

Ayton has been a valuable piece for the Suns since being selected first overall in the 2018 draft, but he is often criticized for his lack of effort and inconsistency.

Still, he's averaging a double-double for his career and is coming off a solid 2022-23 campaign in which he averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 67 games while shooting 58.9 percent from the floor.

If Ayton remains with the Suns in 2023-24, he'll be an important piece in a starting lineup that also includes Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Josh Okogie. And if Phoenix wins a title, much of that criticism of the veteran big man might finally evaporate.