Alum Andre Ingram signed to play for the Los Angeles Lakers for the remainder of the season on Monday, according to a memo released by the team. Ingram is the second AU alum to play for an NBA team; Kermit Washington, class of 1973, played in the NBA from 1973-1988.
The 32-year-old guard played in the G League – the NBA’s minor league basketball organization – for all 10 seasons of his post-collegiate basketball career. He played for the South Bay Lakers before being called up to play in the NBA.
Ingram played in the Lakers' 105-99 loss to the Houston Rockets Tuesday night, scoring 19 points off the bench while shooting 4-5 from behind the three-point line. The Lakers play their final game of the season Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
While playing for the South Bay Lakers, Ingram shot 47.5 percent from 3-point range, which was the best average in the G League. He played 47 games, the second-highest number of games on the 2017-18 roster, and started in seven. Ingram had the third-highest average for 3-point shots made on his team (2.2). Ingram is also the G League’s all-time leader in made 3-point baskets.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson, president of basketball operations for the Lakers, hugged Ingram immediately after Ingram learned of his call-up Monday.
Johnson said with a smile, “I want that 48 percent!”
“I do too, trust me,” Ingram replied.
Ingram graduated from American University in 2007 and signed on to play for the Utah Flash, a then-D League team within the NBA which is now defunct. Igram played with the Flash for four years and has also played for the Los Angeles D-Fenders and the Perth Wildcats. In 2017, the NBA changed the name of the D League to the G League. The D-Fenders were also renamed the South Bay Lakers. Ingram won the NBA D League Three-Point contest, now the G League, in 2010 and 2016.
“The goal is to make it to the NBA, and … this is the route you have to take,” Ingram said to The Eagle last fall as guest in AU’s sports writing and reporting class. “The D league always hears, ‘Control what you can control.’ Hopefully someday, you get your opportunity.”
At AU, Ingram scored 1,655 career points – fifth best in school history. He scored 265 3-point field goals, which is the third best in the team’s history. Ingram was selected for the All-Patriot League First Team twice in his four year basketball career at AU, and he earned the title of Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2004.
Ingram is married to Marilee. Together they have two daughters, Maliyah and Navi. After Ingram learned that he was being called up to play in the big leagues, he called Marilee to tell her the news, and she screamed out of excitement.
