.jpg) Ingram with theNew Orleans Pelicans in 2020 | |
| No. 3 – Toronto Raptors | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1997-09-02)September 2, 1997 (age 28) Kinston, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Kinston (Kinston, North Carolina) |
| College | Duke (2015–2016) |
| NBA draft | 2016: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2019 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2019–2025 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2025–present | Toronto Raptors |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997) is an American professionalbasketball player for theToronto Raptors of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by theLos Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the2016 NBA draft, and was named to theNBA All-Rookie Second Team. He was traded to theNew Orleans Pelicans and became a first-timeNBA All-Star and was named theNBA Most Improved Player in 2020 during his first season with the Pelicans.
Ingram had a successful high school career inNorth Carolina, where he won state titles each of his four years, and was namedNorth Carolina's Mr. Basketball. He played one season ofcollege basketball for theDuke Blue Devils, where he was namedAtlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year. After the season, Ingram decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and declared for the NBA draft. He played three seasons with the Lakers before being traded to New Orleans in 2019 in a package for All-StarAnthony Davis.
Ingram was born on September 2, 1997, inKinston, North Carolina. He is the son of Donald and Joann Ingram. He has two half-siblings, an older brother, Donovan, and an older sister, Brittany.[1] He shares a father with Donovan and a mother with Brittany.[1] Ingram's father started his career as apolice officer and a manager of a local gym, but he is now full-time at a welding plant, where he makesforklifts.[1][2] Before that, Donald was a would-be hoops star, pushing his way through the semi-pro leagues.[2] When he moved back home to Kinston, his father started playing pickup games with a youngJerry Stackhouse, who was looking to play locally against older and more experienced players to help him elevate his game.[2] Stackhouse, an ex-NBA star and Kinston native, forged a friendship with Ingram's father on the court.
While Ingram grew up in a one-story house on Highland Avenue in Kinston, his brother Donovan grew up in a different house but would spend weekends with Brandon, teaching him basketball.[1] Kinston had an extremely high crime rate, but Ingram kept his focus on basketball.[3] Before Ingram was a teenager, his brother allowed him to play with him and his older friends. He described this experience as "the best thing that ever happened to my game". His brother, known as Bo,[4] went on to playcollege basketball forSouth Plains College (2008–2010) andUT Arlington (2010–2012).[5] By the time Brandon reached eighth grade, Stackhouse became Ingram'sAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach and mentored the young basketball player.[6] Those influences "took me to the next level", said Ingram, whose foundation as a player came from his father.[7] His father was a high school and collegiate referee who stated Brandon "was trained correctly, both mentally and physically. He grew up knowing the rules of the game".[7] Ingram played all four years of his high school basketball career atKinston High School and helped lead Kinston to four straight state championships during his time there.[8]
During his freshman year at Kinston, he came off the bench on the varsity basketball team but along the way his role grew.[9] In his first year with the Kinston Vikings, the team defeatedCuthbertson High School by three points to win the 2012North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 2A boys basketball state championship inReynolds Coliseum.[10] As a sophomore, Kinston defeated Cuthbertson for the second year in a row to win the 2A state title and Ingram averaged 12.4points per game (ppg), 3.9rebounds per game (rpg) and 1.5assists per game (apg).[11] Prior to the start of Ingram's junior year, he began to show improvement during the 2013 summer while playing AAU basketball.[12] After shining for the Stackhouse Elite team, the 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) junior entered the year with high expectations and received a large amount of attention from college coaches who were lined up to recruit Ingram to aDivision I school.[13]
In his junior year, Ingram led the Kinston Vikings to its third consecutive NCHSAA 2A state title, where he scored 28 points to go along with his 16 rebounds againstNorth Rowan.[14] During the season, the Vikings went undefeated in their conference with a 26–4 overall record while Ingram was averaging 19.5points, 9.1rebounds, 2.5blocks and 1.5assists per game and was named Eastern RegionalMost Valuable Player (MVP).[5][15] During the spring 2014, Ingram represented the Stackhouse Elite for the Norman Parker Showcase at the Suwanee Sports Academy where he earned MVP honors after leading the team to the championship.[16] He averaged 17.9 points per game and 5.3 rebounds each contest and shot better than 81 percent from thefree throw line during theAdidas Uprising circuit.[17][18] After his junior year came to an end, Ingram participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp on June 19, 2014, atJohn Paul Jones Arena inCharlottesville, Virginia.[19] Later that summer, instead of playing for an AAU tournament in theAtlanta area, he decided to compete with his high school team at the annual East Coast Invitational (ECI), an off-season event in his home state.[20][21]
As a senior, he averaged 24.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and led the Vikings to a 26–4 record.[22] At theSpalding Hoophall Classic, Kinston pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback defeatingTrenton Catholic Academy (56–54) behind Ingram's 22 points.[23] In his final high school basketball game, he was namedMVP of the state championship game after scoring 28 points to go with 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in a win overEast Lincoln High School at theDean E. Smith Center.[5] This made Ingram the first men's basketball player to win 4 consecutive NCHSAA state championships.[5] The Vikings also became the first 2A school in North Carolina history to win four consecutive state titles.[9] Following his senior season, Ingram was a participant in the2015 McDonald's All-American Game, where he scored 15 points and had five rebounds.[24]
Ingram was rated as a five-star recruit and was considered among the best high school prospects of the 2015 class.[25][26] He was ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit byESPN andScout, as well as No. 4 overall byRivals.[27][28][29] He was named North Carolina'sMr. Basketball and Player of the Year by North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (NCBCA).[22][30] He also made theParade All-American team, in his senior season, joining Duke teammateLuke Kennard. In his senior year, he was also named to the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association All-District First Team.[5] On April 27, 2015, he announced that he would attendDuke University and play for theBlue Devils in the 2015–16 season.[31] Ingram said he "probably" would have committed toNorth Carolina in November if theTar Heels were not involved in a "far-reaching academic scandal".[32]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Ingram SF | Kinston, NC | Kinston HS | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Apr 27, 2015 | |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 3, 1 (SF) Rivals: 4, 2 (SF) ESPN: 3, 1 (SF) | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Ingram began his freshman year of college basketball playing two exhibition games againstFlorida Southern andLivingstone.[33][34] In his debut for Duke, Ingram scored 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting against Siena.[35] In the second game, he scored 21 points to help Duke defeatBryant in the2K Sports Classic.[36] TheBlue Devils started out the season ranked fifth in the nation entering theChampions Classic, an event that matches four of the nation's best programs against each other,[37] before receiving their first loss of the season againstKentucky on November 17, 2015.[38] The same day, Ingram became one of seven freshmen named to the 50-manWooden Award preseason watchlist.[39] Duke quickly bounced back by defeatingGeorgetown the following week at the 2K Sports Classic Championship inMadison Square Garden on November 22.[40] The same week, Ingram came off the bench for the second time after being removed from Duke's starting line-up for their game againstYale, scoring 15 points.[41] The following game, he was inserted back into the starting line-up and helped Duke start the season 9–1, which included a seven-game win streak, before falling toUtah in overtime.[42] During a five-game stretch in December, Ingram averaged 21.2 points and 8.8 rebounds while filling in atpower forward for injuredAmile Jefferson.[43] After recording 24 points and 6 rebounds in a win overIndiana in theACC–Big Ten Challenge on December 2,[44] Ingram scored 23 points to lead Duke overBuffalo.[45] For his efforts, he received his first ACC Rookie of the Week honor.[46]
On December 12, 2015, Ingram scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a home win overGeorgia Southern,[47] and blocked a career-high 6 shots in a home win overVirginia Tech in January 2016.[48] That same month, he scored 25 points and had 9 rebounds in a win atBoston College in his ACC debut.[49] After being voted National Freshman of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week twice in the month of January,[50] Ingram helped Duke break a three-game losing streak by scoring 25 points to go with 7 rebounds againstNC State.[51] In February 2016, he was voted ACC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time after averaging a team-high 21.5 points and added 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists on the week as Duke defeated number thirteenLouisville and number sevenVirginia to extend its winning streak to four games.[52] That same month, Ingram was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for theNaismith College Player of the Year award.[53] In a road game against the number fifth seed and rivalNorth Carolina, Ingram scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to give Duke a one-point win over the Tar Heels on February 17.[54]
As the fifth seed in theACC tournament, Duke beat NC State in the second round but lost toNotre Dame in the quarterfinals.[55] In the2016 NCAA tournament, Duke was awarded a fourth seed and won their first-round match-up againstUNC Wilmington.[56] After beating Yale in the second round, Duke was defeated in the Sweet 16 byOregon despite 24 points from Ingram.[57] In 36 games for Duke in 2015–16, Ingram averaged 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 34.6 minutes per game, while shooting 44.2% from the field, 41.0% from three-point range and 68.2% from the free throw line. He finished the tournament averaging 23.0 points to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in the three games. He subsequently earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors and AP All-American honorable mention.[58] Ingram had one of the best seasons ever for a young player at Duke, ranking in the top 3 among the school's all-time freshman leaders in scoring (third), three-pointers (second) and 20-point games (tied for second).[59] On April 4, 2016, Ingram declared for the2016 NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.[60]
On June 23, 2016, Ingram was selected with the second overall pick in the2016 NBA draft by theLos Angeles Lakers.[61] Being only 18 years old at the time, he was the second-youngest player drafted in 2016.[62] On August 23, 2016, he signed his rookie-scale contract with the Lakers.[63] He made his debut for the Lakers in their season opener on October 26, 2016, scoring nine points off the bench in a 120–114 win over theHouston Rockets.[64] On November 23, in his first career start, Ingram scored a then-career-high 16 points in a 149–106 loss to theGolden State Warriors.[65] He topped that mark on December 2, scoring 17 points in a 113–80 loss to theToronto Raptors.[66] On December 17, he had nine points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, finishing just an assist and a point shy of becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record atriple-double in Los Angeles' 119–108 loss to theCleveland Cavaliers.[67] On January 6, 2017, he had his second 17-point game of the season in a 127–100 win over theMiami Heat.[68] Two days later, he had another 17-point effort in a 111–95 win over theOrlando Magic.[69] During theNBA All-Star Weekend, he participated in theRising Stars Challenge along with teammateD'Angelo Russell.[70] He hit the 20-point mark for the first time in his career on February 26, scoring 22 points in a 119–98 loss to theSan Antonio Spurs.[71] At the season's end, he was named to theNBA All-Rookie Second Team.[72]
During his only game inSummer League, Ingram scored 26 points in the first game and according to theLos Angeles Times, "had a fabulous debut this summer [...] and outclassed all the other players on the court."[73] On October 20, 2017, he scored a then career-high 25 points in a 132–130 win over thePhoenix Suns.[74] On November 15, 2017, he scored 26 points to go with a career-best 11 rebounds in a 115–109 loss to thePhiladelphia 76ers.[75] On November 29, he scored a career-high 32 points in a 127–123 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors.[76] On December 7, he scored 21 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining, leading the Lakers to a 107–104 victory over the 76ers to end a five-game losing streak.[77] On January 5, 2018, he had 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a 108–94 loss to theCharlotte Hornets.[78] For the second year, he participated in the Rising Stars Challenge duringNBA All-Star Weekend for Team USA.[79] On March 1, Ingram suffered a groin strain that would cause him to miss 12 straight games.[80][81] He returned on March 30 against theMilwaukee Bucks but suffered a neck muscle contusion during the game and was placed in the NBA's concussion protocol,[81] causing him to miss the rest of the season.
Ingram received a four-game suspension early in the 2018–19 season for his involvement in an on-court fight against the Houston Rockets on October 20.[82][83] He missed seven games in December with a sprained left ankle.[84] On January 17, 2019, he had a career-high 11 assists in a 138–128 overtime win over theOklahoma City Thunder.[85] On January 29, he scored a career-high 36 points in a 121–105 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.[86] On March 9, Ingram was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to adeep vein thrombosis in his arm.[87]
On July 6, 2019, the Lakers traded Ingram,Lonzo Ball,Josh Hart, the draft rights toDe'Andre Hunter, two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and cash to theNew Orleans Pelicans for All-StarAnthony Davis.[88] On November 4, 2019, Ingram recorded a then-career high by scoring 40 points in a loss against theBrooklyn Nets.[89] On January 16, 2020, he bested that career high, scoring 49 points in a 138–132 overtime win over theUtah Jazz. Ingram gave New Orleans a one-point lead with a fadeaway jumper with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation, beforeRudy Gobert was fouled and sent the game to overtime with afree throw.[90] He became anNBA All-Star in his first year as a Pelican. He was named theNBA Most Improved Player after averaging 23.8 points. 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.[91] After becoming a restricted free agent in the 2020 offseason, Ingram re-signed to the Pelicans on a five-year, $158 million contract.[92] His contract has no player or team option, setting Ingram up to become afree agent again in the 2025 offseason.[93]
On December 3, 2021, Ingram recorded a career-high 12 assists, along with 24 points and eight rebounds, in a 107–91 win over theDallas Mavericks.[94] Two days later, he scored a season-high 40 points in a 118–108 loss to theHouston Rockets.[95] On January 11, 2022, Ingram recorded 33 points and nine assists, and hit a game-winning three-pointer to lift the Pelicans to a 128–125 victory over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[96] On April 19, during Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs, Ingram recorded 37 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists in a 125–114 win over thePhoenix Suns.[97] In Game 4, on April 24, Ingram scored 30 points in a 118–103 win to tie the series at 2–2.[98] New Orleans would go on to lose to Phoenix in six games despite Ingram averaging 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists.[99] On June 7, Ingram underwent surgery on his right pinky finger and was ruled out for 6 to 8 weeks.[100]
On March 24, 2023, Ingram achieved the first triple-double of his NBA career with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Pelicans' 115–96 victory over theCharlotte Hornets.[101] On March 30, Ingram put up a triple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 107–88 win over theDenver Nuggets. He joinedChris Paul as the only players with multiple games of at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Pelicans history.[102] On April 9, in the final game of the2022–23 season, Ingram posted season highs of 42 points and 12 rebounds along with 7 assists in a 113–108 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.[103]
On February 6, 2024, Ingram put up 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a 138–100 win over theToronto Raptors. He became the first player in NBA history to put up at least 40 points, eight or more three-pointers made, and shoot at least 75+% from the field, while not committing a turnover.[104]
On December 8, 2024, Ingram sustained a left ankle sprain in a 119–109 loss to theOklahoma City Thunder, which would go on to be his last game played for the Pelicans.[105]
On February 6, 2025, Ingram was traded to theToronto Raptors in exchange for guard-forwardBruce Brown, centerKelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round draft pick (via Indiana) and a 2031 second-round draft pick.[106] On February 12, he signed a 3-year, $120 million contract extension with the team.[107] On April 9, before ever being able to suit up for the franchise, he was officially shut down for the season following aPRP injection in his ankle to aid in his recovery.[108]
In November 2025, Ingram was fined $25,000 by theNBA for an incident during a game against thePhiladelphia 76ers. After being called for afoul, he was subbed out. He threw a water bottle to the floor, which accidentally hit a game attendant and Ingram was assessed for atechnical foul.[109]
Ingram was selected to the 2016U.S. select team, which trained with the2016 U.S. Olympic basketball team.[110] He was also a member of theUnited States national team that competed in the2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, finishing fourth overall.[111]
.JPG)
Standing 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) tall and weighing 190 pounds (86 kg),[112] Ingram plays mostly at thesmall forward position.[113] His long arms, stretching to a 7-foot-3-inch (2.21 m) wingspan and 9-foot-1-inch (2.77 m) standing reach,[114] allows him get his shot off over defenders and block shots on the defensive end.[115] Ingram has drawn frequent comparisons toKevin Durant, after whom he patterned his playing style revealing, "I try to take bits and pieces out of [Durant's] game and put it in my game [but] at the end of the day, he's Kevin Durant, and I'm Brandon Ingram".[116] Like Durant, Ingram has been criticized for his slim frame; however, oneWestern Conference coach stated that Ingram is "just weak right now. He's not soft, by any stretch of the imagination."[117] After aTeam USA practice, Durant told reporters that Ingram is "the first person that I could... look at him and feel like I'm looking in the mirror".[118] In his rookie year, Ingram was utilized as apoint forward by coachLuke Walton, who stated that "it helps engage [Ingram] in the game."[119]
Growing up, one of Ingram's favorite things to do as a kid was fishing with his grandmother atAtlantic Beach.[120] Ingram signed with Excel Sports Management and is represented by Excel founder and presidentJeff Schwartz.[121] In 2016, he chose to sign an endorsement deal withAdidas Basketball and made an appearance in a commercial forSpeed Stick along with thenMinnesota Timberwolves point guardKris Dunn.[122][123] In early 2017, he teamed up with L.A. street artist Jonas Never for Delta's "Beyond the Court" campaign, which saw Ingram and then-Laker teammateJordan Clarkson explore their passions outside of basketball.[124] While Clarkson is an aspiringfashion designer, Ingram's passion forart began with him drawing basketball players and cartoon characters, which was bolstered by taking a portrait drawing class at Duke.[124] As of 2025, Ingram is currently in a relationship with rapperGlorilla.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | L.A. Lakers | 79 | 40 | 28.9 | .402 | .294 | .621 | 4.0 | 2.1 | .6 | .4 | 9.4 |
| 2017–18 | L.A. Lakers | 59 | 59 | 33.5 | .470 | .390 | .681 | 5.3 | 3.9 | .8 | .7 | 16.1 |
| 2018–19 | L.A. Lakers | 52 | 52 | 33.9 | .497 | .330 | .675 | 5.1 | 3.0 | .5 | .6 | 18.3 |
| 2019–20 | New Orleans | 62 | 62 | 33.9 | .463 | .391 | .851 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 1.0 | .6 | 23.8 |
| 2020–21 | New Orleans | 61 | 61 | 34.3 | .466 | .381 | .878 | 4.9 | 4.9 | .7 | .6 | 23.8 |
| 2021–22 | New Orleans | 55 | 55 | 34.0 | .461 | .327 | .826 | 5.8 | 5.6 | .6 | .5 | 22.7 |
| 2022–23 | New Orleans | 45 | 45 | 34.2 | .484 | .390 | .882 | 5.5 | 5.8 | .7 | .4 | 24.7 |
| 2023–24 | New Orleans | 64 | 64 | 32.9 | .492 | .355 | .801 | 5.1 | 5.7 | .8 | .6 | 20.8 |
| 2024–25 | New Orleans | 18 | 18 | 33.1 | .465 | .374 | .855 | 5.6 | 5.2 | .9 | .6 | 22.2 |
| Career | 495 | 456 | 33.0 | .468 | .363 | .788 | 5.2 | 4.3 | .7 | .6 | 19.5 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 8.6 | .250 | .000 | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 2.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | New Orleans | 6 | 6 | 39.3 | .475 | .407 | .830 | 6.2 | 6.2 | .7 | .3 | 27.0 |
| 2024 | New Orleans | 4 | 4 | 36.4 | .345 | .250 | .895 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 14.3 |
| Career | 10 | 10 | 38.1 | .434 | .371 | .848 | 5.5 | 5.0 | .8 | .7 | 21.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Duke | 36 | 34 | 34.6 | .442 | .410 | .682 | 6.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 17.3 |
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