Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram have had two of the more tumultuous, yet successful careers of No. 2 draft picks in recent memory. Ironically, the way their careers have played out to-date have also largely mirrored one another as well.
Both players had rocky starts to their times in Los Angeles with spurts of strong play being broken up by injuries. Both were apart of the package by the Lakers sent out via trade to acquire Anthony Davis. And both have experienced breakout season in New Orleans, though to varying degrees with Ball posting career-best numbers and Ingram earning an All-Star berth.
It should not come as a surprise, then, that the duo has created a bond and a friendship during their time together in both California and Louisiana. Often spotted in the gym and practice facility together on off days, Ball and Ingram have forged a connection.
Pelicans teammate JJ Redick hosted Ball on his podcast this week and asked about the duo’s friendship, their ritual of finding a gym to get up shots whether on the road or at home and whether it’s a friendly or competitive rivalry.
“B.I.’s always been a gym rat since I’ve known him. That’s kind of how I gravitated to him. You appreciate guys that do their job and work hard. For instance, like you, you come in every day and even though you’re a veteran of the game and played forever, you’re still getting up the same shots every day. One of the first ones on the court type of thing doing that layup that saved us in Sacramento. Me and B.I.’s been close from day one because he works so hard. Plus we’re the same age and he was in the L.A. spotlight and I was, too. We kind of got together like that.”
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“We don’t even look at it like hard work, really. It’s kind of fun. We play games and stuff, we get our drills done and we get ready for the game.”
Ball and Ingram’s big years with the Pelicans didn’t come solely on their own accord, as Ball pointed out as well. Assistant coach Fred Vinson, who Ball has credited for helping fix his jumper, has also worked extensively with both former Lakers this season.
Ball was quick to give credit to Vinson for helping Ingram and he get shots up on a nightly basis
“I would say a lot of credit goes to Fred. Fred gets us in there a lot. It’s not like he’s forcing us or anything but he’s there. It means a lot when he leaves his family and kids at home to come help us get better.”
Having a teammate that has gone through the same experiences you have is always a positive. But having a teammate going through them with you in realtime is even better. Along with Josh Hart, Ingram and Ball have shared the experience of struggling, battling through injury and being traded together. And fortunately for both them and the Pelicans, they’ve shared the experience of succeeding together.
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