Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton said that criticism of him "fuels me" as he spoke with reporters during his introductory press conference on Tuesday (h/t Khobi Price of So Cal News Group).

Deandre Ayton was introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, and he gave his reason for signing with the franchise. The 26-year-old center claimed he picked the Lakers because he wanted to be in a situation to compete for a championship.

Deandre Ayton knows he needs to rewrite his narrative. He went from being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft to now being plagued by questions about his maturity and motor. He went from referring to himself as "Domin-Ayton" during his introductory press conference with the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago to being waived by them this summer after they negotiated a contract buyout.