He’s 32 years old and stands 6’3. With small swatches of gray, his hair and weathered face betray him as a man among boys on any basketball court. He’s been in the NBA D and G Leagues for 10 years now, and he tutors math students on the side to make ends meet. On Tuesday night, with 1:53 remaining in the first quarter of a matchup between the Rockets and Lakers, Andre Ingram walked onto the storied court at Staples Center in Los Angeles. He donned the number 20, checking in in front of a surging mass of passionate Lakers fans.
After Chris Paul offered congratulations and Lakers faithful gave Ingram a raucous hand, it seemed like the perfect ending to his tedious, decade-long journey to professional basketball. But then the unimaginable happened: Fewer than two minutes into the second half, Ingram received a pass at the top of the arc and chucked up a triple. And yes, you guessed it--the ball hit nothing but net. Then Ingram made his second shot. And his third. And his fourth. It was like the unfolding of a fairytale picture book as the aging veteran threw up shot after shot, seemingly unable to miss.
"Ten years in the D League, but it wasn't like 10 hateful years or years I didn't enjoy. I enjoyed my time in the league and all of my teammates, and I heard from every one of them." -Andre Ingram (via ESPN)
His herky-jerky form and odd follow-through made him all the more endearing, and the fans began to feed into the energy emanating from this aging misfit as he outplayed some of the best athletes in the world. For three quarters, Los Angeles treated Andre Ingram like Kobe Bryant; they even began chanting ‘M-V-P’ as he stepped to the line for free throws in the third quarter. Ingram finished the game with 19 points on 6/8 shooting and 4/5 from downtown.
Here’s how the Twitterverse reacted…
He was immediately (and justifiably) showered with postgame praise and interviews, and arguably most impressive was his unbelievable humility despite the glaring spotlight of national attention. For a guy who’s spent the last 10 years grinding it out in the G League, Ingram displayed patience and work ethic that’s hard to find in today’s world of professional sports.
While his message of perseverance should be inspiring to all who hear it, I hope that Ingram’s story can be the beginning of a new age in minor-league basketball. In light of the recent (and historic) corruption in the NCAA, NBA G and D Leagues offer young athletes the opportunity to develop into better ballplayers instead of being rushed into the NBA because of the pressure around one-and-dones. Maybe, Ingram’s amazing story will inspire other young players to consider developing their skills before prematurely entering NBA action, and maybe coaches will begin to see the benefit of an effective farm system. Of course, the idea that Ingram’s story alone will do all of that is a pipe dream, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.
Here’s the real question: Where was Andre Ingram when the Lakers were sitting bottom-five in the Western Conference?
(Stats and info via ESPN)
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