Ever since Brandon Ingram came into the national scene as a freshman at Duke, his thin frame and shooting ability led everyone to compare him to superstar Kevin Durant. Now as a part of the USA Select Team, the Los Angeles Lakers rookie has the opportunity to practice with and learn from his idol.
Durant himself sees the comparison and even said that Ingram is further along than he was at that age which is extremely high praise.
For his part, Ingram understands the comparison and while he acknowledges that he isn’t near Durant’s level yet, he does believe he has the potential become his own brand in the NBA, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical:
“It’s a very special comparison,” Ingram said. “But, of course, I know I’m not him. I know I’m not him yet, but I have the potential to make my own brand.”
Ingram also notes that playing against his idol will be a dream come true:
“Of course, you grow up with him as an idol, and in a few months, he’s going to become my rival. It’s going to be a dream come true. I think just watching him for so long and having the ability to actually learn and play against him is just going to be a special motivation for me as a competitor and someone who really looked up to him.”
Ingram has a long way to go before getting to the level of Durant, and he may never get there. Simply put, not many players ever become multi-time scoring champions and MVPs so living up to the Durant comparison will be tough.
Nonetheless, Ingram has a ton of potential and could very well be the player to turn around the Lakers fortunes. If he indeed does turn out to be the next Durant, it won’t be long before the Lakers find themselves back amongst the NBA’s elite.
