An alarm sounds at 7:30 a.m., and Deandre Ayton—all 7’1” and 250 pounds of him—lumbers out of bed. Approximately 20 minutes later, the rookie center arrives at the Phoenix Suns’ practice facility. By 10 a.m., he's eaten breakfast and downed a bottle of his favorite Rockin’ Protein drink ahead of a treatment session. Around 11 a.m., he lifts weights before watching film with teammates at noon. By 12:30 p.m., Ayton and the Suns hit the court for practice.
And then the fun begins.
“We compete. We go at it,” Ayton told Sports Illustrated. “And everybody goes home achin’.