Brandon Ingram can't wait to face his idol. pic.twitter.com/pzdMq2cA1k
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) September 16, 2016
With Kobe Bryant retired from the NBA, the Lakers are ushering in a new era. The new Lakers will be led by a collection of young talent including last year’s heralded second overall pick D’Angelo Russell.
This summer, LAL added another young star in the draft with Duke’s Brandon Ingram. The young forward has yet to play a real NBA game but he has high expectations placed upon him already.
Ingram has been compared favorably to current Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant. Similar body sizes and shapes along with a penchant for getting the ball in the basket have made that an especially common comparison. Even KD himself made the comparison after Team USA camp.
Luckily for the Lakers, Ingram isn’t backing away from it. While he has stated that he wants to blaze his own trail, the small forward is also emulating Durant.
That’s why, when asked by USA TODAY Sports’ Larry Berger who he’s excited to play against, the young Laker chose Durant: “Kevin Durant. Always idolized his game, just the way he moves, his body size, his body type, the way he plays the game, the way he carries himself. I think that I’m going to be very excited when I matchup with him.”
The Durant comparisons are obviously a bit premature (clearly, Ingram is the superior player) but for Lakers fans, seeing Ingram accept them must feel great. Who knows how good Brandon Ingram can become in the future, but at least he has the mentality and the determination needed to truly succeed.
