NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CLIPPERS VS. SUNS

June 30, 2021

DeAndre Ayton

Phoenix Suns

Game 6: Postgame

Phoenix Suns - 130, Los Angeles Clippers - 103

Q. Saw you dancing on your way off the court. What was the feeling like for you to have this happen when you went from 19 wins your rookie year to you now getting ready to compete for a world championship?

DEANDRE AYTON: It was actually crazy. The dancing was just finally made it through the series. Because that was a tough series. I'm not going to lie, that was a tough series. It's only my third year and just seeing the reaction of Chris made me appreciate it even more. I know people say live in the moment, but that moment was too long, man. That almost felt unreal. I was like, is this too good to be true? I'm in this for too long now. But it's just life and we just got to enjoy this night, get back in the lab and get ready for The Finals.

Q. Seeing Chris Paul take the game over. What was that like?

DEANDRE AYTON: We kind of knew it was coming. All we knew, see a couple of them elbow jump shots go in, he started feeling it. Just making sure he get to his spots, giving him the right angles to get to his jumper. I mean, he was in rhythm. He was in rhythm and he took over. He was on us. And I think it was five minutes and I think Jay Crowder asked him if he, can he smell it? Chris was like, Hell no, I ain't smell it. And then Jay Crowder was like, You know what, all right, we got to keep staying locked in then until the end. And it just shows how serious he was and how much of a competitor and how much he want it, man. He willed it in us and he's been in the game so for long and still has this passion.

Q. Jay said when he got here he could tell that the young guys early on were fearless and his mindset as a veteran was to get you guys ready for this type of basketball. Just how much during this season help you get ready to make this kind of run?

DEANDRE AYTON: Jay Crowder is tough. He's one of the guys who is big on just sacrifices. You don't have to be the guy that scores to feel like you did something for a win. He's that type of dude. It's contagious because all our guys are like that. We just want to win, man. We don't care who drop 30, to be honest. We just want to win and win the right way. Coach and the coaching staff really instilled something, like a certain culture where we compete, we share the ball, play defense, man, that's what we do. And we show gratitude on and off the court.

Q. The support your family has given you through all your ups and downs and now your current up.

DEANDRE AYTON: Man, I can't even really explain the family love, to be honest. It's something you embrace and just hold on, hug it. You knew it was real love when you're smiling and you're just doing this for them. Walking up to my mom and sharing that experience with her, it's bigger than a PAC-12 tournament in Vegas. It's way bigger than that. And I fluked the March Madness one in Buffalo, against, Buffalo, so it was like this is a whole new ball game and this is the level I dreamt of, I’ve seen on TV and I was craving for it. And just to share that moment with her and her seeing all the lights and finally embracing positivity was, you know, it was a little breath of fresh air. But we ain't done. I told her, your stress level is going to go up even higher now. You think it's up there, but it's going to go even further.

Q. This is the only team you played for in the NBA and so this is the only experience you can kind of reference, but what's it like being a Phoenix Sun with this group?

DEANDRE AYTON: Being a Phoenix Sun, I would say it's amazing, man, because you know the type of fan and city you got behind you, in a way. First of all the organization and your teammates is lit. They all show the same love, they all feel like family. But when the city got you, yeah, I've been feeling that all year. When the city got you that's when you really locked in and you're playing more than just for your family and the organization and your teammates. You're playing for the fans, you're putting on a show for them, giving them something to talk about and have a little step when they walk. Just being a Phoenix Sun, I've been here since I was 16 and I’ve seen everything. I’ve seen how the organization was. I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen Book when he first got to Phoenix. I was in the 11th grade. And just being here for high school, college and now the NBA, and making some noise and bringing some type of light to Phoenix, it means a lot. It means a lot. I'm glad to be a Phoenix Sun. Because this is the type of moments right here -- like Book say, being legendary, this is it right here. This is just one step.

Q. Chris was praising the growth and he also mentioned there were a lot of heated conversations during the season. What's that been like as far as those conversations?

DEANDRE AYTON: I told him, like he was having a moment on the court, he's having a moment on the court, and he, I just started talking to him. I was like, Chris, we went through it all, huh? Getting on my butt, getting on my behind, getting on my tail every day, it turned out well, it worked out huh? And we just embracing that and we just all we went through and the learning and the training camps and just competing every day, butting heads a little bit, it all worked out, man, and it was all for a good purpose. Because like I say, everything that Chris tells me or tells me what to do, it's from the heart. And that dude loves to compete. And if you're a real competitor, you're not just listening to how somebody's saying it, you're just getting the message that we're going to get this done and that's the type of relationship we have. He know I ain't going to take it no way. If it's business, it's business. Let's handle it.