One of the greatest stories in NBA history is getting a sequel.
Eleven months after capturing the attention of the entire sports world, G League legend Andre Ingram has inked a 10-day contract to return to the Lakers.
Lakers fans will recall Ingram’s lightning release and pinpoint accuracy from 3-point range, as he is the G League’s all-time leader in made triples (768), with 215 more than anyone else.
He displayed that in his iconic NBA debut last season when — after a decade of grinding his way in the G League — he put up 19 points with four treys against the Houston Rockets.
After his unforgettable two-game stint in the NBA, the 33-year-old returned for his 11th G League season and seventh with the South Bay Lakers.
Ingram has averaged 8.6 points, while shooting 39.0 percent from the field and 35.3 percent on 3-pointers, both career-low clips. Yet his production has perked up over South Bay’s last 18 games, putting up 10.0 points on 44.3 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from deep.
Ingram remains a lethal chess piece for a coaching staff’s game plan. He ranks in the G League’s 89th percentile when it comes to scoring off screens, having averaged 1.25 points per possession while hitting 22-of-44 shots.
He has also been one of the league’s best shooters from mid-range, hitting 54.2 percent of his shots from this area. Oftentimes opponents are so wary of the 3-point king’s long range that it gives him opportunities to attack their close-outs and get himself open shots from just inside the arc.
This is what happened on his game-winner back in December.
If anything is certain it’s that Ingram has certainly earned this second call-up.
Earlier this season, he broke the record for most games ever played in the G League. He is also the league’s fifth-leading scorer.
As he gets set to join the Lakers for their five-game road trip, he brings a hunger for the game that can only be forged by 11 years worth of hustling through the minor league system.
“I love his attitude,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “He doesn’t complain, he works hard no matter what.”