Brandon Ingram was endlessly compared to Kevin Durant throughout much of the time leading up to the Los Angeles Lakers ultimately selecting him with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. But those comparisons don’t mean that Durant is the only player Ingram wants to model himself after.
Ingram, who appeared in the Rising Stars Challenge for a second consecutive year, revealed two other players he also wants to be like. “I think I can say LeBron James. Not just on the basketball floor, but also how he carries himself off the basketball floor,” he said.
“I look up to DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Durant, how they built their games on the basketball floor and how tough they are, how they guard consistently every single night. I like them.
Ingram isn’t on the level of those All-Stars yet, but he also said he’s determined to get there.
Targeting playing with the same consistency that those stars display could be an important next step for the sophomore forward who has already made quantum leaps from his first year in the NBA to his second.
Ingram also mentioned wanting to emulate how James carries himself off the floor, which is a noble goal considering not just how hard LeBron works to stay at the top of the league, but more importantly how he’s become a leader in speaking out on social issues amongst players and the considerable charitable endeavors he’s undertaken in Cleveland.
At just 20 years old, Ingram still has plenty of time to reach those heights both on and off of the court, and it’s probably a good omen for his future that he’s already setting those types of goals so early on in his career.
Unfortunately for him, there’s been a pause on that for now, as Ingram won’t return from a groin strain any earlier than Sunday. Should he manage to play that evening, Ingram will have an opportunity to match up with James.