NBA News: Brandon Ingram talks Anthony Davis trade rumors, compares playing for the LA Lakers to being in an action movie
Brandon Ingram opened up about his last season on the LA Lakers that was derailed by the NBA trade rumors surrounding Anthony Davis. The 23-year-old was selected by the LA Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and played for the team for three years before being dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans along with two other young Lakers, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart.
Brandon Ingram shared with his teammate JJ Reddick on the “Old Man & The Three” podcast about how the persistent trade rumors took a toll on all the young LA Lakers, mentally and physically. Ingram, who has a quiet personality and prefers to stay out of the spotlight, constantly found himself in the news. He began snapping at teammates and coaches in practice due to his constantly wondering if he would be traded at any moment. He mentioned how the situation impacted his play on the court. He said it eventually took the game he loved and turned it into a Hollywood film.
There was one game where I was like ‘This is more than basketball. This is an action movie that we’re in right now. Everybody is posing for the cameras, everybody knew where the cameras are.’ Just everything.
In the latest NBA News, we'll examine Brandon Ingram's last year with the LA Lakers and examine how the trade panned out for both organizations.
NBA NEWS: Brandon Ingram and the LA Lakers
The LA Lakers would not trade for Anthony Davis until the end of the 2018-19 season, but at that point, the damage was already done to the young Lakers' side. Brandon Ingram and Co. went on to finish 10th in the Western Conference and miss the playoffs that year. It was a huge disappointment in LeBron's first year in the City of Angels, as the Lakers' fan base was full of excitement for the possibility of a young roster that was mostly established through the draft.
However, as awful as the 2018-2019 season was for Brandon Ingram and everyone involved with the LA Lakers, they would redo it in a heartbeat. The Lakers went on to win the 2019-20 NBA championship in Anthony Davis' first year on the roster after posting a 51-19 regular-season record.
Brandon Ingram, who said he lost his concentration amid the drama of the 2018-19 season, was able to regain his focus on basketball after being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. In the 6-foot-7 guard's first year with the Pelicans, he averaged 23.8 points per outing and was selected for his first NBA All-Star Game.
This season Ingram, who has been compared to Kevin Durant, has shown even greater development as he has averaged 26.7 points in his team's first three games.