LeBron James has been impressed with Brandon Ingram.
The 21-year-old forward scored 31 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out three assists in the Lakers’ 128-123 preseason win over the Kings on Thursday. Afterward, James said he thought Ingram “was great.”
“His pace, his ability to play the point and play the wing, he's a very special talent,” James said (via ESPN). “We're definitely happy to have him on our side.
"I know what I see in him, and he's looking for this opportunity to make this next jump in his third year. … So, it's a lot of upside in that kid, and I'm happy to try to give him as much as I can."
James praised Ingram’s work ethic and said he thought the third-year player would improve this season.
“He's a great kid,” James said. “He works hard — extremely hard — and he has a lot of talent. And he believes in his ability, so we'll see what the next jump is, but, I mean, none of us are prophets. We don't know (how much better he’ll be)."
Ingram said James’ comments motivate him to continue working on his game.
"It makes you want to keep going," Ingram said. "I don't think I want to stop here. My expectations are way higher than anyone's expectations in this room or anybody, so for him to say that is an extreme compliment.”
The Lakers originally selected Ingram with the second pick in the 2016 draft. He averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 59 games last season.
