Andre Ingram, 32, AMAZING DEBUT
Andre Ingram seized the chance in his decade-in-the-making NBA debut Tuesday night, scoring 19 points in a stunning performance for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ingram spent 10 years grinding in the NBA’s official minor league system before getting the call-up he'd been waiting for.
Los Angeles promoted the 32-year-old Ingram from its South Bay affiliate for the final two games of another dismal Lakers regular season, and the G Leagues’ career leader in 3-pointers hit a 3 on his first NBA shot.
“I tried not to think about the first one going down,” he told reporters after the game against the Houston Rockets. “But to a man, everyone was like, ‘When you get it, just let it go!’ All the players, all the coaches. It was crazy. To see the first one go in, I felt great.”
He added: “It was excellent. Once we went out as a team for warmups, I just felt some electricity out there. It was amazing. The crowd, the lights, it was just once in a lifetime. It was awesome.”
The sellout crowd moved from charitable support to full-throated roars as Ingram continued to down baskets. He was even serenaded to chants of “MVP” with the actual MVP front-runner, Rockets guard James Harden, on the same floor.
“From the team warm-ups, the atmosphere was electric,” he said. “You could feel something in there. MVP chants, that’s just crazy.”
Ingram’s fourth 3-pointer with 51 seconds left trimmed Houston’s lead to 102-99, but the Lakers didn't score again.
Ingram finished 6-for-8 from the field and made four out of five 3-point attempts, along with three rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal. It earned him the game ball.
Houston Rockets star Chis Paul, who is also 32 ‒ but was playing in his 892nd regular-season game on Tuesday ‒ warmly greeted Ingram ahead of his debut.
“I told him I heard about his story and that grind is unbelievable,” Paul told reporters. “I told him, ‘Much respect.’ I mean, 10 years grinding in the G League, to finally get an opportunity and to play like that, it’s pretty special.”
Ingram’s 19 points were the most by a Lakers player in their debut since Nick Van Exel dropped 23 in 1993, ESPN reported.
Ingram spent 10 years grinding in the NBA’s official minor league system before getting the call-up he'd been waiting for.
Los Angeles promoted the 32-year-old Ingram from its South Bay affiliate for the final two games of another dismal Lakers regular season, and the G Leagues’ career leader in 3-pointers hit a 3 on his first NBA shot.
“I tried not to think about the first one going down,” he told reporters after the game against the Houston Rockets. “But to a man, everyone was like, ‘When you get it, just let it go!’ All the players, all the coaches. It was crazy. To see the first one go in, I felt great.”
He added: “It was excellent. Once we went out as a team for warmups, I just felt some electricity out there. It was amazing. The crowd, the lights, it was just once in a lifetime. It was awesome.”
The sellout crowd moved from charitable support to full-throated roars as Ingram continued to down baskets. He was even serenaded to chants of “MVP” with the actual MVP front-runner, Rockets guard James Harden, on the same floor.
“From the team warm-ups, the atmosphere was electric,” he said. “You could feel something in there. MVP chants, that’s just crazy.”
Ingram’s fourth 3-pointer with 51 seconds left trimmed Houston’s lead to 102-99, but the Lakers didn't score again.
Ingram finished 6-for-8 from the field and made four out of five 3-point attempts, along with three rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal. It earned him the game ball.
Houston Rockets star Chis Paul, who is also 32 ‒ but was playing in his 892nd regular-season game on Tuesday ‒ warmly greeted Ingram ahead of his debut.
“I told him I heard about his story and that grind is unbelievable,” Paul told reporters. “I told him, ‘Much respect.’ I mean, 10 years grinding in the G League, to finally get an opportunity and to play like that, it’s pretty special.”
Ingram’s 19 points were the most by a Lakers player in their debut since Nick Van Exel dropped 23 in 1993, ESPN reported.
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