Andre Ingram just signed his first NBA deal. There's a very good chance you have no idea who he is even though he's been playing pro ball in the United States for the past 10 years. 10 years? Yes, you read that correctly.
The new 32-year-old shooting guard for the Lakers has spent the past decade playing on three different teams in the NBA D/G-League and spending his offseasons math tutoring for extra income (G-League salaries range from $19,500 - $26,500). Not only was he undrafted after playing four years in college, he went in the 7th round (!) of the D-League draft -- a few picks before a guy named Efevberha was selected. During his decade in the developmental league, he broke a record amount of records, won two three-point contests (six years between the two!) and picked up a Sportsmanship Award.
"'Do you go after your dream, or do you go overseas?' Ingram told Silver Screen & Roll. And so I chose to stay. And you know, I don't regret the decision at all."
And because of that decision, he is now going to be able to say he played in a NBA game in 2018. That's something a few lottery picks from the 2007 NBA draft (Greg Oden, Yi Jianlian, Spencer Hawes, Acie Law, Al Thornton and Julian Wright) can't say.
So congrats Dre on making the NBA and signing with the Lakers, a team with a head coach that is just five years older than you and four players that were born when you were 12 years old.
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