Brandon Ingram

 

Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997), nicknamed “Slenderman” and “Kingram,” is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and weighing 190 pounds (86 kg), Ingram plays small forward and power forward. He played one season of Division I college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Ingram was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 as part of the Anthony Davis deal, and most recently to the Toronto Raptors in February 2025. Ingram is a three-time NBA All-Star (2020, 2024, 2026) and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2020. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2017.

 

Early Life 

High School Career

 

Ingram was born in Kinston, North Carolina, and raised by his parents, Donald and Joann Ingram. He attended Kinston High School, where he became one of the most decorated players in North Carolina prep basketball history. Ingram helped lead the Kinston Vikings to four consecutive North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 2A state championships from 2012 to 2015, becoming the first male basketball player in state history to win four consecutive state titles.

 

As a senior in 2015, Ingram averaged 24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.0 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game, leading Kinston to a fourth consecutive state title with a 26-4 record. He scored 28 points with 10 rebounds and five blocks in the championship game against East Lincoln and was named the state championship game MVP. Ingram was named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball and ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit by ESPN. He was selected to play in the 2015 McDonald’s All-American Game, where he scored 15 points. On April 27, 2015, Ingram committed to Duke University.

 

College Career

 

Duke Blue Devils (2015–2016)

 

Ingram had an exceptional freshman season at Duke, establishing himself as one of the program’s all-time great freshmen. He started all 36 games and averaged 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 44.2% from the field, 41.0% from three-point range, and 68.2% from the free-throw line.

 

On December 12, 2015, he posted a career-high 26 points and 14 rebounds against Georgia Southern. In January, he scored 25 points with nine rebounds at Boston College in his ACC debut, punctuating the performance with a memorable two-handed dunk over three defenders. Ingram ranked third among Duke freshmen all-time in scoring, second in three-pointers made, and tied for second in 20-point games. He played 1,246 minutes (34.6 minutes per game), the third-most by a Duke freshman and the highest per-game average since Tommy Amaker in 1984. Ingram helped lead the Blue Devils to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, averaging 23.0 points and 6.3 rebounds across three tournament games.

 

Ingram was named ACC Freshman of the Year, Second Team All-ACC, and earned honorable mention All-America honors from the Associated Press. On April 4, 2016, Ingram declared for the NBA Draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

 

NBA Career

 

Los Angeles Lakers (2016–2019)

 

Ingram was selected with the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers on June 23, 2016. He made his NBA debut on October 26, 2016, scoring nine points off the bench in a 120-114 win over Houston. He nearly recorded the youngest triple-double in NBA history on December 17 when he posted nine points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists against Cleveland, finishing one assist and one point shy of the record.

 

In his rookie season, Ingram appeared in 79 games and averaged 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Over his three seasons with the Lakers, Ingram showed steady improvement, averaging 9.4, 16.1, and 18.3 points per game, respectively. However, his 2018-19 season ended prematurely when he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right arm in March 2019, requiring surgery that removed a portion of his rib.

 

New Orleans Pelicans (2019–2025)

 

On July 6, 2019, Ingram was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans along with Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter, two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, and cash in exchange for All-Star Anthony Davis. The trade proved transformative for Ingram’s career.

 

In his first season with New Orleans (2019-20), Ingram broke out in spectacular fashion. He averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 39.1% from three-point range, and 85.1% from the free-throw line. His three-point shooting improved dramatically from 33% the previous season, thanks to extensive work with Pelicans assistant coach Fred Vinson.

 

On January 16, 2020, Ingram scored a career-high 49 points in an overtime win over Utah, hitting a fadeaway jumper with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation before Rudy Gobert forced overtime with a free throw. Ingram was selected for his first NBA All-Star Game and was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played December 23-29.

 

On August 31, 2020, Ingram was named the NBA Most Improved Player, becoming the first player in New Orleans franchise history to win the award. He received 42 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters, narrowly edging Miami’s Bam Adebayo. After the season, Ingram re-signed with the Pelicans on a five-year, $158 million contract.

 

Ingram continued his strong play over the next several seasons. On December 3, 2021, he recorded a career-high 12 assists along with 24 points and eight rebounds against Dallas. In the 2022 playoffs, Ingram averaged 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists as New Orleans lost to Phoenix in six games in the first round.

 

On March 30, 2023, Ingram posted a triple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against Denver, joining Chris Paul as the only players with multiple games of at least 30-10-10 in Pelicans history. Ingram earned his second All-Star selection in 2024. On February 6, 2024, he made NBA history by posting 41 points, nine rebounds, and six assists against Toronto while shooting at least 75% from the field, making eight or more three-pointers, and committing no turnovers, becoming the first player ever to achieve that combination.

 

Toronto Raptors (2025–present)

 

On February 6, 2025, Ingram was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round pick (via Indiana), and a 2031 second-round pick. Six days later, on February 12, he signed a three-year, $120 million contract extension with Toronto. However, before making his Raptors debut, Ingram was officially shut down for the remainder of the 2024-25 season on April 9, 2025, after receiving a PRP injection in his left ankle.

 

Ingram made his Raptors debut at the start of the 2025-26 season and has quickly become a key contributor alongside Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. On February 10, 2026, Ingram was named to the NBA All-Star Game as a replacement for injured Stephen Curry, marking his third All-Star selection.

 

Through the 2025-26 season, Ingram is averaging 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 47.4% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range, continuing his role as one of the NBA’s most versatile wing scorers.

 

References

 

External Links

* Brandon Ingram on NBA.com

* Brandon Ingram on Basketball-Reference.com