On Monday, ahead of the team's final home game of the 2017-18 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers made an interesting move by signing guard Andre Ingram for the final two games of the season. Despite spending a decade in the D-League turned G League, Ingram had never been called up to the next level.
Not until the Lakers brought him in for the final stretch of this campaign.
Ingram got his opportunity on Tuesday to show what he can do at the NBA level. The Lakers planned to play Ingram major minutes against the visiting Houston Rockets and he didn't disappoint in the time given, scoring 19 points in 29 minutes off the bench.
“My man came in pulling,” teammate Josh Hart said of the 32-year-old rookie. “He came in cashing out. We were happy for him, man. He gave us a big spark and no one else deserved that as much as him. I ain't the oldest rookie on the team no more, baby! So we good. I'm happy! It's a heck of a story.”
Ingram's four 3-pointers in his debut are the most by a Lakers player in a debut. His 19 points are the most by a Lakers rookie since Nick Van Exel scored 23 points back in 1993.
Needless to say, Ingram made an impression with coach Luke Walton singing his praises after the team suffered a six-point loss to the Rockets.
“I think it speaks to how much he believes in himself,” Walton said of Ingram. “I think a lot of people that are trying to live the basketball dream probably would've given in with the amount of years that he's been trying. Like I said before, you don't make a lot of money when you're in the minor league system.”
“You're playing a crazy schedule, you're in small towns, and you're just constantly waiting for other people to think you're good enough. That can get really mentally tough on people, and I think it shows how mentally strong he is, how much he believes in himself, and how much he loves the game to stick with it for this long. I was just really happy for him that he had that type of night tonight.”
Along with Hart and Walton praising the Lakers newcomer, Rockets star point guard Chris Paul also chimed in on the 32-year-old's story and performance.
“We actually checked into the game at the same time at one point, and I told him I heard about his story and that grind is unbelievable,” Paul said of Ingram. “I told him much respect. Ten years grinding in the G League, finally get an opportunity and to play like that, that's pretty special.”
Ingram's performance against Houston had the crowd at the Staples Center on its feet every single time he touched the basketball. He stole the show and deserved every minute of the attention from the avid fans in Los Angeles as well as everyone watching on TNT.
“He looked great,” Julius Randle said. “I am so happy for him. True testament for hard work and never giving up. I am really proud of him and happy for him. Hopefully, it will be some momentum for the offseason and he gets another shot.”
Following his 19-point performance in his NBA debut, Ingram shared the following sentiment about his experience wearing the purple and gold for the first time and the journey to get this point in his basketball career.
“It has been worth it,” Ingram said. ” It has been a joy. I was telling someone the other day, 10 years in the D-League, but it wasn't like it was 10 hateful years or years that I didn't enjoy. I enjoyed my time in the D-League. I enjoyed all of my teammates. I have heard from every single one of them. It was just my route. It just happened to be my route that I had to go and that is fine because I did enjoy it.”
“Of course, there were times where you aren't sure this day is going to happen or not but I am so thankful it did. But those 10 years prior to this were a joy too. It was preparation for this.”
On Wednesday, the Lakers will go head-to-head against the L.A. Clippers at the Staples Center in the final game of the season. Ingram will suit up once again and try to top his debut — which was impressive, to say the least.
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