The Los Angeles Lakers are pushing Deandre Ayton to step into a louder, more aggressive role, and head coach J.J. Redick found a very public way to make that point.
Before the Lakers faced the Milwaukee Bucks, Redick walked into the arena wearing a custom T-shirt featuring Ayton’s face blended with a lion’s.
Coach JJ Redick’s Seven-Word Challenge to Deandre Ayton
Ayton came to Los Angeles with equal amounts of hope and concern swirling around him. On one hand, the Lakers believed the former No. 1 pick could finally fill their long-standing need for a strong, dependable center.
On the other hand, Ayton arrived fresh off what many see as his worst NBA season, marked by inconsistency, lapses in energy, and declining performance with the Portland Trail Blazers.
For the Lakers, this was a classic redemption storyline in the making, but only if Ayton proved willing to seize the moment.
Redick’s bold T-shirt became the first sign of how the coaching staff plans to push him. Asked about the design, Redick delivered a clear seven-word message:
“We want him to be the lion.”
It was both encouragement and a challenge. The Lakers want Ayton to play big and his mindset to match his physical tools.
Interestingly, Ayton appears to have picked up on the message. In the Lakers’ 119-95 win over the Bucks on Nov. 15, he put up 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting efficiently around the rim.
Through 13 games this season, he is averaging 16.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists on a staggering 69.2% shooting.
Those numbers show promise, but the team still wants more consistency and more presence, especially on nights when the energy dips.
This is why Redick’s message matters. The Lakers need Ayton to control the paint, challenge shots, and impose himself physically, particularly during stretches when LeBron James is limited or resting.
A center with Ayton’s size and touch should be able to shape the flow of a game, and the Lakers are pushing him to embrace that responsibility fully.
Ayton Might Become the Missing Piece on the Lakers Squad
Ayton is one of the most crucial pieces of the Lakers’ 2025 title run. With James and Luka Dončić leading the attack, the team needs a reliable interior anchor who can create balance on both ends of the floor.
Ayton’s scoring efficiency gives the Lakers easy points in the paint, and his pick-and-roll chemistry opens up driving lanes for their stars.
When fully locked in, Ayton protects the rim, grabs tough rebounds, and forces defenses to collapse inside. Those small advantages become big ones over the course of a season, especially for a team trying to keep pace in a competitive Western Conference.
Redick’s symbolic approach echoes the spirit of motivational tactics used by the legendary coach Phil Jackson, who often blended symbolism, mental preparation, and quiet challenges to draw more out of his players. Jackson knew how to tap into a player’s identity, and Redick seems to be trying something similar with Ayton.
If Ayton embraces the lion mindset, the Lakers may finally get the dominant interior force they’ve been missing.