Andre Ingram’s first night in the NBA started as a special moment, but it turned out to be the stuff of legend by the end.
After being an unknown name coming into his NBA debut, the 32-year-old, who spent a decade in the developmental G-League before earning his shot, stole the show in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 105-99 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
Coming off the bench, Ingram dropped 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, to go with three rebounds and three blocks in 29 minutes of action.
The Lakers ultimately lost to the Western Conference leaders, but the smooth-stroking guard quickly captured hearts at Staples Centre and even heard some “MVP” chants for his inspiring performance.
“I just felt some electricity out there,” said Ingram, whose wife and kids were in attendance to watch him achieve his dream. “The crowd. Just being here, the lights. It was once in a lifetime. It was awesome.”
Only Magic Johnson (26), Nick Van Exel (23) and Jerry West (20) scored more in their career debuts with the Lakers since the franchise moved to Los Angeles.
While it was a feel-good story coming into the game, the Lakers didn’t just call up Ingram for the sake of being nice. With the team hit by multiple injuries and little to play for in their penultimate game of the season, Ingram was needed to soak up minutes and serve as a shooting threat, having made the most 3-pointers in G-League history with 713.
“I was clear about the fact that this wasn’t just doing the nice thing,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “We were bringing him up because we thought he could help us when we have bodies down, and he can shoot the ball. It was for us just as much as it was for him, and I think tonight he showed the basketball world what kind of shooter he is.”
He added: “For being in the bright lights, he was pretty good tonight and it was a lot of fun to watch.”
After this season, who knows if Ingram will have another opportunity to shine on an NBA floor, whether it’s with the Lakers or another franchise.
It’s possible Ingram will return to the G-League and continue to grind away as a professional, but he harbors no ill will to his tenure in the NBA’s minor league.
“It’s been a joy,” said Ingram. “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.”
For one night, however, Ingram took the NBA world by storm and became the biggest story in the league.
