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Who is Deandre Ayton?
Deandre Ayton better known as Deandre is a professional basketball player from the Bahamas. Deandre Ayton is now a member of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
At the age of 12, Ayton moved to the United States to play high school basketball.
However, no one could have predicted that the young boy from the Bahamas would become the NBA superstar that he is today.
He has played with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA since 2018, after signing for the draft.
He does, however, mainly play center for the squad.
Similarly, he has previously demonstrated his ability in a defensive position on numerous occasions.
Deandre wearing a Phoenix Suns jersey.
Deandre will lead the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 in 2021.
In addition, he was one of the greatest centers in the league’s playoffs the same season.
Because of contract rumors, the Suns’ center appears in the media every year at the start of the NBA season.
However, it looks like the sportsman intends to win an NBA championship with the Suns.
In the article below, you can learn more about his life, his journey from the Bahamas Islands to his NBA career, his wife, net worth, and children.
But, before we get into the intricacies, here are some quick facts.
Childhood, Family, and Education
Deandre Ayton was born on July 23, 1998, in Nassau, Bahamas, to Edward Egerue and Andrea Ayton.
Andrea, his mother, is of Jamaican and Bahamian descent.
Similarly, he is of Nigerian Igbo descent from his father’s side.
His life was somewhat complicated while in The Bahamas.
His mother could hardly meet his three brothers’ basic requirements.
Furthermore, he and his mother had a strained connection with his father.
He attended Bahamas Academy High School for his primary education.
He loved to watch older boys play basketball as a kid.
He eventually became obsessed with the sport and learned to play in the church league.
While still in school, he was recognized by the All Bahamian Brand, a basketball game promotion organization, and he began playing organized basketball in the Bahamas.
Years later, he attended a summer basketball camp where coaches quickly saw his talent.
Deandre’s family then sent him to San Diego, where he enrolled in Balboa City School at the coaches’ recommendation.
Soon after, his mother divorced his father and later married his stepfather, Alvin Ayton.
He eventually relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, to be with his new family and attend Hillcrest Preparatory Academy.
Height, weight, and age
The NBA player will be 23 years old in 2022.
Every year on July 23, he celebrates his birthday.
Deandre, likewise, stands tall at 2.11 m. (6 feet 11 inches).
When he came to the United States at the age of 12, he was already about 6 feet 5 inches tall.
He weighs about 215 pounds (113 kg). Ayton is not a vegetarian.
Professional career in High School
Deandre Ayton attended Balboa High School in San Diego for two years.
In his sophomore season, the 6 feet 11-inch tall player averaged 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game, guiding Balboa to a 17-14 record.
Ayton subsequently switched to Arizona’s Hillcrest Prep for his final two years
Marvin Bagley III, a current Sacramento Kings player, was his Prep School teammate.
He averaged 29.2 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game in 2015-16.
Ayton had his high school career-best performances the following year.
Ayton was also named Finals MVP and Season MVP after leading his squad to the Grind Session World Championship.
Similarly, he had 8 points and 7 rebounds while playing for the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in 2016.
Ayton finished his high school career as the No.
1 center in the 2017 high school class.
He chose the Arizona Wildcats to begin his college career at the end of 2016.
College Life
Despite the fact that his college career lasted only a year, he set numerous individual records while mostly playing as a power forward.
In his debut, he had 19 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks in a 101-67 victory over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
While enjoying a tremendous freshman year, Ayton became embroiled in a scandal involving the then-head coach, Sean Miller.
According to an FBI source, former Arizona assistant Emmanuel Richardson allegedly told a former Adidas consultant that Sean Miller was paying Ayton.
They discovered this through phone tapping.
However, following Arizona’s defeat in the round of 64 in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, he decided to finish his college career without playing the last three seasons.
More Facts about Deandre Ayton
Full Name | Deandre Edoneille Chidike Ayton |
Date of Birth | July 23, 1998 |
Birth Place | Nassau, The Bahamas |
Nick Name | The Dominator |
Religion | Christianity |
Nationality | Bahamian |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Age | 23 years old |
Height | 2.11 m (6 feet 11 inches) |
Weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Black |
Build | Athletic |
Father’s Name |
|
Mother’s Name | Andrea Ayton |
Siblings | Four siblings |
Siblings’ Name | Not available |
Education |
|
Marital Status | Unmarried |
Girlfriend’s Name | Anissa Evans |
Kids | A son |
Kid’s Name | Deandre Obinna Ayton, Jr. |
Profession | Professional basketball player |
NBA Draft | 2018 |
Position | Center |
League | NBA |
Active Years | (2018–present) |
Net Worth | $5 million |
Currently Plays For | Phoenix Suns |
Jersey Number | 22 |
Career Highlights & Awards |
|
Social Media | Twitter, Instagram |
Merch | Cards |
Last Update | July 2022 |
Professional Development
Ayton was selected first overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Ayton made his Summer League debut for the squad against the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 10 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.
Ayton had two double-doubles in his rookie NBA season, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a win against the Dallas Mavericks and another five days later against the Golden State Warriors.
Furthermore, despite his team’s loss, he achieved his third double-double of 17 points and 18 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors.
Deandre set several milestones in his rookie season, including breaking Alvan Adam’s record for most double-doubles by a rookie in NBA history.
Ayton played well in all of his Suns games during his second NBA season, but he was suspended for 25 games for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
During the same season, he had an ankle injury but quickly returned to the court.
Despite missing roughly three games owing to Covid-19 regulations, Ayton’s overall performance in the 2020-21 season was outstanding.
Furthermore, he led the Suns to the NBA finals for the first time since 1993.
While there were rumors that he would leave the Suns before the 2021-22 season, he is still with the team.
Girlfriend and Child
The Bahamian athlete has not yet married.
However, he is in a relationship with Anissa Evans, who is also from Nassau, Bahamas.
Ayton and Anissa have known one other since high school.
She is a model who is currently enrolled at Queen’s College.
The couple intends to marry soon.
Ayton and Evans, on the other hand, are in a live-in relationship.
In March 2021, Anissa Evans gave birth to a son, Deandre Jr.
The sportsman is content with his family situation.
Salary, Net Worth, and Career Earnings
Deandre Ayton has been regarded as one of the country’s top centers since his high school days, and his net worth is estimated to be around $5 million.
The majority of the Overseas player’s earnings come from his league games.
During his rookie season, Ayton earned $8.1 million in salary.
During his second regular NBA season, though, his pay was boosted to $10 million.
Too far, the Bahamian basketball player has earned approximately $27 million in the NBA.
Aside from his career earnings, the NBA player made a lot of money with his clothing agreement with Puma at the start of his career.
Deandre owns an opulent mansion in Arizona’s Paradise Valley.
He also has a nice automotive collection, which includes a Rolls Royce Cullinan and an all-black Tesla Model X, among other things.
Awards and Achievements
Deandre Ayton has received numerous prizes and plaudits despite the fact that he has not won championships for his team.
He has also set numerous personal records. Among his accomplishments are:
- MOP PAC-12 Tournament (2018)
- All-Rookie First Team in the NBA (2019)
- Player of the Year in the Pacific-12 Conference (2018)
- First-team All-American consensus (2018)
- Freshman of the Year in the Pacific-12 Conference (2018)
- Karl Malone Prize (2018)
- All-Pacific-12 First Team (2018)
Also, Read Federico Balzaretti, Sam Merrill, Gabriel Deck
Deandre Ayton’s Social Media Profile
Deandre Ayton is active on Instagram and Twitter.
He shares photos and video clips of himself with his family on various occasions.
Likewise, he shares photos capturing joyful moments with his teammates and family with his fans.
Ayton’s Insta account has around 508k followers (as of Jan 2022).
Similarly, he has about 126k followers on Twitter (as of Jan 2022).