Returning to the city where his NBA journey began, Brandon Ingram didn’t just bring his elite scoring touch. He was here for a reunion. A blood clot condition ended his Lakers tenure and started the Anthony Davis era. Meanwhile, Ingram went to New Orleans to play alongside the guy who would coach for the Lakers in the future. Now suiting up for the Raptors, Brandon Ingram was back in Los Angeles with a rare perspective, he revealed exclusively to EssentiallySports.

Ingram won Most Improved Player in New Orleans and is having a breakout season in Toronto, averaging 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field. On Sunday, January 18, he was back at the place that shaped his persistence.

Redick was excited to meet his former teammate and fellow Duke alum and gushed ahead of the game, “I always appreciated Brandon’s love for playing basketball.”

Mark Medina asked Ingram about Redick’s comments and what kept his love for basketball alive through the lows. His answer was the lows.

“Injuries kept my love for the game. Failing kept my love for the game,” Ingram told Medina. “You always got another day. You always got a chance to learn in the midst of good and bad. This is the game that I grew up playing. This is the game that I woke my Dad up in the middle of the night to go to the gym. This is the game that I watched my whole life. So I’m just continuing to practice and play to reach new levels and evolve my game each and every year.”

This deep-seated obsession with basketball has transformed Ingram from the scrawny 19-year-old from Duke that the Lakers drafted No. 2 overall in 2016 into a versatile scorer and first option of the Raptors.

Brandon Ingram thrives in LA’s lights

JJ Redick spoke about what scouting reports probably miss about Brandon Ingram. “This may sound like a surprise, but not everybody in this sport loves playing. Not everybody in this sport loves going to the gym, or loves watching film, or loves competing, and you just saw that right away with him. He’s such a gifted player and certainly a priority on our scouting report and pre-game.”

Redick did not take someone who can thrive on adversity like Ingram lightly. Toronto’s high-speed offense he spoke about before the game, pushed him to make a significant tactical shift. To neutralize Toronto’s “versatile forwards,” Redick went big in the fourth by putting Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura in.

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He had to be brutal. Before this latest matchup, Ingram had averaged over 24 points in 18 games against his former team, consistently elevating his performance whenever he steps onto the Crypto.com Arena floor. Medina had to ask if the Lakers bring out the best in him even when he’s not suiting up in Purple & Gold.

“When you get to LA, there’s a different energy,” Ingram said. “Even when you’re stepping outside, it’s sunny in LA, and you feel good. This is the city that drafted me. There’s always some good energy in this building. The Lakers have die-hard fans, so they always show me love when I come out here. I like playing in this environment.”

This synergy between Ingram and the Lakers’ faithful created an explosive spectacle to watch on Sunday night. The Lakers held the Raptors to only 13 points in the fourth. Ingram himself admitted the Lakers’ zone defense was too tough and they needed to attempt threes to stay in the game.

Though the Raptors lost 110-93, it’s not hard to see that Brandon Ingram brought the best out of LA, too.

Between his connection to Redick and his own gratitude toward the city, it’s clear that while the jersey has changed, the bond between Brandon Ingram and Los Angeles remains one of the most heartwarming narratives in the league.