“I was alienated from the world because of the way I play and where I’m from, the size I am, and maybe even my color,” Ayton says. “When I first came to the United States, I had that feeling of not having nobody at a young age. You feel like you want to belong, but kids don’t want to hang out with you.” He became overwhelmed with feelings of loneliness and rejection. While he was unable to express his feelings back then, Ayton now knows he was dealing with bouts of anxiety and depression. “I would never wish that on nobody,” Ayton says. “That type of stuff builds a hole in your heart. You have a big heart, but nobody sees the heart. You want to give the heart, but nobody wants the heart. And I had that at a young age where I didn’t even want to be here. I didn’t want to be here.”