Brandon Ingram welcomes the pressure.
Brandon Ingram is embracing the pressure that comes along with being apart of the Los Angeles Lakers. In the Los Angeles illustrious history, they have amassed the second most championships in NBA history with 16, one behind the Boston Celtics with 17.
To add even more pressure to the 18 year old rookie out of Duke, he was given the same locker as Kobe Bryant, arguably the greatest player in Lakers history.
At his introductory press conference yesterday Ingram stated that “I saw where my locker was, and I definitely knew it was Kobe’s locker. I know [general manager] Mitch [Kupchak] told me I had some big shoes to fill when I came in here, but I liked it.”
Ingram also said that he is welcoming the pressure. Believing that the pressure is going to motivate him “to do good things on the court.” Saying, “it’s all good pressure for me.”
This is a lot of pressure to put on a slender 18 year old’s shoulders who won’t turn 19 until September. Though, it seems that Ingram is very much up to the challenge of playing with the Lakers.
Ingram should be expected to come in and start immediately at the small forward. Unless the Lakers decide to ease him along and start recently signed Luol Deng, so that the rookie can initially learn from the veteran and then come in and start later on in the year as in done with most rookies.
Whatever route the Los Angeles Lakers decide to take with Ingram, expect there to be a lot of expectations as being the second pick in the draft and playing for the Lakers doesn’t come easy.
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