Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins delivered a blunt message to Deandre Ayton following the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Cousins reacted after Ayton publicly expressed frustration about not getting enough touches in the game.
Speaking on Run It Back, Cousins criticized Ayton’s comments and urged him to focus on his role. “Stop complaining, the whining,” Cousins said. “That’s what kind of puts you in this situation where you are now in your career.”
Cousins made clear that Ayton’s current NBA value is not tied to post scoring or isolation offense. “You have to realize no team in the NBA is signing you to be a scorer,” Cousins said. “They’re not gonna drop the ball down there. No iso on you on the block.”
The former Sacramento Kings star pointed to rebounding as the area where Ayton can increase his impact and shot attempts. “If you wanna go get more shot attempts, pick up the effort on the boards,” Cousins said. “There’s not a big that’s more athletic, more mobile in this league to where you can’t go get five, six offensive rebounds a game.”
Ayton is averaging 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds this season while shooting 68.9 percent from the field for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has started all 31 games he has played and is logging nearly 30 minutes per night as the team’s primary center.
Cousins emphasized that Ayton was signed to fill a specific role within a star-driven offense led by Luka Doncic and LeBron James. “As far as getting dumped down post, that’s just not happening, man,” Cousins said. “That’s not who you are as a player and that’s why the Lakers signed you.”
The criticism followed a 107-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, a game in which Los Angeles struggled to generate consistent interior offense. Ayton finished with modest usage as the Lakers were held to 40 percent shooting and controlled on the glass by San Antonio.
Cousins closed his remarks with a direct piece of advice aimed at prolonging Ayton’s effectiveness in the league. “The quicker you get over that, the one more thing you should do is just stay quiet and play,” he said.
With the Lakers sitting fifth in the Western Conference, Ayton’s ability to anchor the paint, rebound consistently, and score efficiently without demanding touches remains central to the team’s roster balance and postseason outlook.
