Getty Images Free agent big man Andre Drummond.
Add “marketing genius” to the resume of pending free agent Andre Drummond after the Los Angeles Lakers big man admitted his comments about his playing time last season were all part of a plan to promote his upcoming non-fungible token (NFT).
Whether or not you believe the explanation from Drummond is another story. Earlier this week Drummond was caught replying to a comment on one of his posts.
“I wish you could only dominate the paint like Lopez and Ayton,” the comment read. “Like for real.”
Drummond fired back, blaming his lack of playing time and the Lakers coaching staff for his numbers.
“Tell y’all coach play me more and I could,” Drummond wrote in response to the account.
Andre Drummond wants more playing time 👀
Drummond went on a social media tirade the rest of the evening, saying that it was funny to respond to trolls, trying to sell T-shirts with the slogan “Kareem Abdul Drummond” and weighing in on the NBA Finals.
Drummond: I Was Trying to Get Everyone’s Attention
Drummond talked about the incident on ESPN’s The Jump on Thursday, explaining that he has no problem with the Lakers, saying it was all part of a marketing ploy.
“It wasn’t an issue, to begin with. I used that to … I’m actually launching an NFT on Friday, so that was just to get everyone’s attention,” Drummond said, per Silver Screen & Roll. “It was very strategic, I just did what I needed to. I got the attention and now I’m talking to you guys so I can talk about it more.”
Drummond appears to be going all-in on his Lakers’ future with the NFT, which is dubbed “Showtime” with purple and gold being prominently displayed. The starting bid is $50,000.
Perhaps it really was all part of a plan from Drummond to drum up attention, but putting his NBA future at risk to sell an NFT and T-shirts seems like a bold plan, especially for someone who has already banked more than $136 million in his career, per Spotrac.
During his appearance on The Jump, Drummond did note that he enjoyed his time with the Lakers.
“I enjoyed myself. I think my time and experience in L.A. has been really good. I think I’ve learned a lot being with those guys, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. I’m just looking forward to what’s next.”
Lakers Have Praised Andre Drummond
After being bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Drummond agreed to a deal with the Lakers in March. he averaged 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds after joining the Lakers, logging 24.8 minutes per game. An interesting note is that the Lakers made a promise to start Drummond if he signed with them, per Marc Stein of the New York Times. The criticism of his playing time seemed especially strange considering the praise Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has had for Drummond.
“Dre was great for us,” Vogel told reporters, per USA Today. “Let me start by saying that. We’re hopeful that he’s a Laker for a long time. He played well for us, and was a good culture fit. He fit in well with the guys and was very well-liked.”
We’ll see if Drummond’s social media antics have changed the Lakers opinion on the big man at all.
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