Brandon Ingram’s career has been quite topsy-turvy for a player that has proven himself to be quite the scoring threat. Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram was supposed to be part of a new generation of elite talent. That went out of the window when he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans alongside Lonzo Ball and other players for Anthony Davis before the 2019-20 season.
While Ingram has never shown any signs of holding a grudge against the Lakers for being traded, he likely has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to playing against the team that traded him. The NBA is a cutthroat business but players still have feelings and being let go of by the organization that drafted you would sting for even the most stoic personalities.
Well, the Pelicans blew out the Lakers on Sunday night after an excellent team performance in which Ingram performed well. It was so bad that Lakers fans showed their displeasure in numerous ways during and following the game. And speaking after the game, BI described the feeling of getting a win in the Crypto.com Arena as extra special considering his history with the franchise.
Brandon Ingram on Pelicans blowing out the Lakers: "It's always fun coming back to the place you got drafted and getting a win. But in this fashion when you got real love for your teammates and everybody is out there scoring, playing and having fun, it's a little extra special."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 28, 2022
“It’s always fun coming back to the place you got drafted and getting a win. But in this fashion when you got real love for your teammates and everybody is out there scoring, playing and having fun, it’s a little extra special.”
Ingram scored 19 points and dished out 8 assists as the Pelicans beat the Lakers by 28 points. He was one of 6 scorers to have 11 points or more in the game and the Pels were especially dominant in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Lakers by 19 points.
Ingram was named an All-Star during his first season with the Pelicans and has been an extremely reliable scorer as long as he has been on the team. Injuries to their main star in Zion Williamson have hampered the Pelicans in their bid to become a threat in the West though, which means his performances have gone a little under the radar.
