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The 32-year-old Lakers guard who made his NBA debut after 10 years in the G League lit it up, earned MVP chants, and became the feel-good story of the season

admin April 11, 2018

andre ingram

  • 32-year-old veteran guard Andre Ingram made his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday after spending ten years in the G League.
  • Ingram lit it up in his first-ever NBA game, scoring 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and earning MVP chants from the crowd.
  • Afterward, support and praise for Ingram poured in from around the sports world, making it one of the feel-good stories in the NBA.


The NBA world was inspired this week when Andre Ingram earned a call-up to the Los Angeles Lakers for their two remaining regular-season games.

Ingram, 32, has played in the G League for ten years since graduating college in 2007, passing up options to play overseas for more money in hopes of making the NBA.

The Lakers made that a reality this week by calling up Ingram, surprising him during his exit interview with his G League team, the South Bay Lakers.

On Tuesday, Ingram, the G League's all-time leader in made threes, made his debut and did not disappoint. Ingram finished the game with 19 points on 6-8 shooting, 4-5 from downtown.

He brought his family with him to the game to experience the moment.

Ingram sank his very first three-point attempt with his lethal, but unorthodox shooting form:

And then his second attempt:

He even showed a little off-the-dribble pizzazz, evading a close-out, then hitting a pull-up jumper while getting fouled.

While shooting free throws, Ingram even earned "MVP" chants from the crowd.

He also earned the game ball from Lakers head coach Luke Walton.

After the game, Ingram expressed that the moment was indeed his chance to live out his dreams. He told the TNT "Inside the NBA" cast that he couldn't eat or sleep before the game, but was okay with it because he just wanted to live in the moment.

"I couldn't do anything," Ingram said. "I wasn't hungry. I couldn't really sleep. I couldn't really get a hold on things. But I didn't want to try to. I just wanted to feel it.

"Once I talked to [Lakers president] Magic [Johnson] and everything, I was, I don't know, just emotions were flowing, and I didn't want to stop it."

Walton, who at one point played with Ingram in the G League, said that the Lakers weren't just doing Ingram a favor; they wanted to show he could play.

Walton also praised Ingram's fortitude for sticking in the G League for so long while waiting for his opportunity.

"You don't make a lot of money when you're in the minor league system," Walton said. "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 and how much he believes in himself and how much he loves the game to stick with it for this long."

Ingram also earned respect from around the world, receiving praise from NBA, MLB, NFL players, and many others.

Ingram acknowledged after the game to TNT that he had moments where he considered not returning to the G League but felt close enough to the NBA that he couldn't give up. With one more game left to play, Ingram will get to continue what's been an unexpected whirlwind ride.

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