It’s a good time to be a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers might have just lost Kobe Bryant to retirement, but Brandon Ingram and others look to usher in the next era in epic fashion this upcoming season.
It’s a movement with Bryant’s blessing, too. No. 24 sounds mightily impressed with one of the guys tasked with replacing him, per Serena Winters of Lakers Nation:
1/2: Kobe on Brandon Ingram (via @TWCSportsNet): “He has great tempo, great pace. I like his length, his ball handling ability is very good…
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) August 16, 2016
2/2: Kobe on @B_Ingram13 (via TWCN): “He can get to spots on the floor & I think defensively he has the potential to be fantastic as well.”
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) August 16, 2016
Ingram, just 18 years old and standing at 6’9″ and 190 pounds, fell behind LSU’s Ben Simmons in the 2016 draft. For some of the reasons Bryant listed, as well as being a better shooter than Simmons from deep, it’s hard for the Lakers to complain either way.
Simmons is driven, too, recently telling Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News he has the Rookie of the Year Award in his sights:
“That’s something that is on my mind,” Ingram said in a phone interview with Southern California News Group. “All rookies want to win Rookie of the Year. That’s something that drives me.”
Alongside D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle while mentored by Luol Deng, Ingram’s quest for some individual hardware isn’t outlandish. Maybe he doesn’t lead the team to a notable win tally this year, but Ingram’s improvement alongside the young core will work wonders for the Lakers in the long run.
Bryant likes what he sees already. Lakers fans should, too, once the season gets underway.
