Lakers surprise 10-year G League vet Andre Ingram with NBA contract
After a decade honing his craft in the G League, the Los Angeles Lakers have given career minor-leaguer Andre Ingram a chance to make his NBA debut.
You stay on the grind and at the end of your 10th year, you finally get the call.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 10, 2018
Andre Ingram never stopped persevering and now his @NBA dream is a reality. #ThisIsWhyWePlay #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/1SZhc5SW7k
"I wondered why those two big guys were back there," Ingram laughed after the surprise announcement as Lakers president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka walked into the room. "Wow."
Ingram, a 6-foot-3 guard, played college ball for American University in the Patriot League from 2003-07, but never got so much as a 10-day contract in the Association. That evidently didn't stop him from fighting for his shot.
Since debuting with the since-defunct Utah Flash in 2007, the 32-year-old has plied his trade as one of the developmental circuit's top perimeter scoring threats, averaging 10.2 points and shooting 46.1 percent on 3-pointers, per Basketball Reference.
Ingram will have two chances to make his mark, with the Lakers taking on the Houston Rockets on Tuesday and the Los Angeles Clippers to cap the season Wednesday. With Lonzo Ball dealing with a knee contusion and Isaiah Thomas shut down for the year, there should be plenty of opportunities for the team's newest rookie to make an impression.