NBA News: 2-Time All-Star Shares Advice For Players Considering The Lakers

Andre Drummond had just a short stint with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021, during which he received criticism over his performance, but he learned a lot from his time in the purple and gold.

The two-time All-Star center opened up about his stint with the Lakers and explained what it takes to play for the organization in an interview with Jefe Island Friday.

“Yeah, the Lakers is exactly what you think it is, man. You gotta be built differently to play for that organization. You gotta be mentally strong not even just on the court, but off the court too because there's so much expectation to being a Laker and putting that purple and gold on,” the current Brooklyn Nets big man was quoted as saying by Tyler Greenawalt of Yahoo Sports.

“Because if you don't meet that expectation, they will let you know you're not worthy enough to put on that jersey. So you got to play to the best of your ability and play hard each and every night regardless of win, lose or draw. You gotta just play hard. That's what they respect,” Drummond added.

Drummond signed a one-year deal with the Lakers on March 28, 2021, a time when main stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis were injured.

He played in 21 games as a starter for the purple and gold, averaging 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24 minutes of action.

One of the mysteries for Drummond, when he was with the Lakers, was not being fielded when the team faced the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of their first-round NBA playoff matchup. The Lakers lost that game and the series, 2-4.

Regardless, Drummond cherished his time with the Lakers – especially since he was coming off a forgettable stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs froze him for four months, a situation that the 9th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft branded as weird.

“I came off a weird situation in Cleveland where they sat me out for four months. I kind of came back, just trying to figure out how to fit in with a team that I haven't played before. It was kind of a weird situation getting back into the groove of basketball. I wish I had a chance to really connect with those guys and really do something,” he said.

Drummond signed with the Philadelphia 76ers before the 2021-22 NBA season but was traded to the Nets alongside Ben Simmons and Seth Curry for James Harden.