Shortly after being selected with the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft, Brandon Ingram spoke via conference call with the Los Angeles media about what it means for him to be going to the Lakers.
Below is a transcription with Ingram's thoughts on his Draft Day, joining L.A.'s roster and more:
Q: On how he feels about being drafted by the Lakers:
Ingram: I feel great. I just know going to this organization how I have to work extra hard to be with those guys and just try to come up and be as best as I can be.
Q: On if he has talked with his new coach, Luke Walton:
Ingram: I haven’t. I have talked to the GM (Mitch Kupchak), but I haven’t talked to the new coach. But I definitely will be talking to him soon.
Q: On if he knew he was going to be drafted with the second-overall pick:
Ingram: I definitely didn’t. But going into this draft, I knew it was a business-like thing. Getting there and my name being called second was definitely a dream come true.
Q: On how he thinks he will fit in with the current Lakers roster:
Ingram: I know Coach Walton is a players’ coach. Watching what he did for the Golden State Warriors was very amazing and great. I think you want to go in and make a big impact.
Q: On joining a team with other young players:
Ingram: I just know I’m going to be fitting into a mold with a lot of young guys. The young guys are ready to work and I just want to take them and help them and let them take me under their wing and teach me what I need to learn in the NBA to just help me be the best player I can be by getting them involved on the court.
Q: On his leadership qualities:
Ingram: Just my ability to be more vocal now. I think when I went into Duke I wasn’t vocal at all. And I just know that I learned from (Mike Krzyzewski) that I need to be a very vocal leader and not be afraid to talk and afraid to get on people when I’m playing.
Q: On going to dinner with the Lakers’ young core when he was in Los Angeles for his predraft workout:
Ingram: It was great. It was very comforting for me to be with those guys. Of course, it was very fun because I played with those guys a long time ago. I remember playing against D’Angelo Russell when I was younger, so it was very fun.
Q: On if he feels like developed a connection with his new teammates:
Ingram: Being out there, I made a good first impression. But I look forward to talking with those guys and playing with those guys. I’m really looking forward to going out to Los Angeles.
Q: On which team was his favorite growing up:
Ingram: Of course the Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Seattle SuperSonics when (Kevin Durant) got on.
Q: On what he thought of the Lakers’ and Kobe Bryant’s last season:
Ingram: That’s Kobe Bryant. He took no nights off and he had an amazing work ethic. I just hope I can be like him someday.
Q: On if he modeled any of his game after Durant’s considering their physical similarities:
Ingram: Most definitely. Growing up, I was a really, really big fan of Kevin Durant’s — a guy that has grown and grown and still has the ability that he has at his height is something that I think I have myself.
Q: On if it bothers him that some call him skinny:
Ingram: I don’t think it bothers me at all, actually. It just gives me motivation to show these guys that the skinny part doesn’t matter. It got me here today. I was the No. 2 pick, of course. Being skinny didn’t mean anything when I was battling each and every guy each and every night.
Q: On if he is bothered by not being drafted first overall:
Ingram: I don’t think I have a chip on my shoulder (for that). I know I have a chip on my shoulder for being doubted each and every day or just someone not believing me. I just want to prove people wrong. I don’t think I have a chip on my shoulder about not being No. 1.
Q: On if that chip has anything to do with being called skinny all his life:
Ingram: I think it’s just toughness. Just me having that determination to something then try to do it and succeed from a toughness standpoint. Just keep going off that and my confidence is sky-high.
Q: On what Krzyzewski has told him about the Lakers and Bryant:
Ingram: He actually hadn’t told me anything. He didn’t know where I was going to be drafted, but he talked with me every single day about different things about life and on the basketball floor.
Q: On what Draft Day was like for him:
Ingram: My day was very long. Just waking up in the morning and meeting with the Commissioner and having lunch and breakfast with the Commissioner. Coming over here to Barclays Center and waiting and being with the guys and just waiting to hear your name being called, going out to the green room and having Adam Silver talk to you a little bit and him finally saying the picks. Everything kind of felt long, but as I look at it now, it kind of flew by. I’m just very happy and feel very special to be in this moment.
Q: On if he has been contacted by his new teammates since being picked:
Ingram: Actually, I haven’t checked my phone yet. I have heard my phone buzz 200-300 times. I haven’t looked at it yet.
Q: On how he thinks he can help the Lakers:
Ingram: I think a lot. I think if I have a lot of attention on me, it gets other guys open, and I know all those guys work on different things in the offseason. I expect to see those guys’ numbers go up on their percentages, not just me. Being able to shoot the 3-ball — I know (Jordan) Clarkson can shoot the ball. D’Angelo Russell can shoot the ball and of course Anthony Brown can shoot the ball. Just seeing a lot of guys shoot the ball well. It’s not just my percentage going up. It’s everyone’s percentage going up.
Q: On his first impression during his Lakers predraft workout:
Ingram: I just thought it was a rich organization. I know when I first came in I told them that I wanted an organization that was based off of family. I know that there’s a lot of guys that come back to that and I just saw a lot of great players come from that organization. Coming into the organization, I just wanted to be a great player that came from there.