Andre Ingram Makes Inspirational Lakers Debut at 32

An otherwise meaningless game between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets was lit up by the debut of Andre Ingram.

The debutant (32) captured the imagination of the NBA with a scorching performance after a decade in the G League.

Andre Ingram came on late in the first quarter and finished with 19 points and three blocks. He shot three from behind the arc in the Los Angeles Lakers 105 – 99 loss to the Houston Rockets.

The 6-foot-3 guard was called up to the Lakers roster for the last two games of the season. After his sensational debut, his story of perseverance has gone viral.

Ingram’s debut was impressive outside of the context that he is 32 and had seemed doomed to the G League. Among Lakers debutants, only Nick Van Exel has scored more points, with 23 in 1993-1994. In the Lakers’ history before moving to L.A, only Magic Johnson (26 points in 1979-80), Jerry West (20 points in 1960-61) scored more points on their debut.

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Andre Ingram was known in the G League for his three-point shot.

Ingram shot 38.5 percent from three in college. He averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds his senior season at AU.

His last three years in the G League, Ingram shot better than 49 percent beyond the arc. His 47.5 percent clip this season was the best in the league. To make 3’s in the NBA after all that time was a moment of vindication for the player.

“It was once in a lifetime,” he said.

“It’s been a joy. 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.”

“Of course there were times of, ‘I’m not sure if this day is going to happen or not,'” Ingram said of doubts that often crept in during his grind. “But so thankful it did.”