Brandon Ingram

Lore & Background

Ingram had a successful high school career in North Carolina, where he won state titles each of his four years, and was named North Carolina's Mr. Basketball. He played one season of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, where he was named Atlantic 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 the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 as part of a package for All-Star Anthony Davis.

Reader's Guide

Ingram was born on September 2, 1997, in Kinston, 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. He shares a father with Donovan and a mother with Brittany.

Ingram's father started his career as a police officer and a manager of a local gym, but he is now full-time at a welding plant, where he makes forklifts. Before that, Donald was a would-be hoops star, pushing his way through the semi-pro leagues. When he moved back home to Kinston, his father started playing pickup games with a young Jerry Stackhouse, who was looking to play locally against older and more experienced players to help him elevate his game.

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. Ingram was able to keep a steady focus on basketball despite a high crime rate in the local community in Kinston. 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, went on to play college basketball for South Plains College (2008–2010) and UT Arlington (2010–2012). By the time Brandon reached eighth grade, Stackhouse became Ingram's Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach and mentored the young basketball player. Those influences 'took me to the next level', said Ingram, whose foundation as a player came from his father.

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'. Ingram played all four years of his high school basketball career at Kinston High School and helped lead Kinston to four straight state championships during his time there.

Did You Know?

• Ingram was the first men's basketball player to win 4 consecutive NCHSAA state championships.
• He was named MVP of the state championship game in his final high school game after scoring 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
• Ingram was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked No. 3 overall by ESPN and Scout in the 2015 class.
• He scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a home win over Georgia Southern in December 2015.