'I love New Orleans': Brandon Ingram on his Pelicans future, why he's playing for Team USA and more (2024)

LAS VEGAS — Brandon Ingram’s passing jumped out to several of his teammates during Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas last week in preparation for this summer’s FIBA World Cup. It was only fitting Ingram picked up an assist on the first possession of the Americans’ 117-74 exhibition win over Puerto Rico on Monday.

But it wasn’t a spectacular play by Ingram that created the opening basket for Jaren Jackson Jr. Ingram ran a simple pick-and-roll with Jackson to get the Memphis Grizzlies big man matched up against a smaller player in the post. Once Jackson had his man sealed, Ingram dumped it down to the big man for an easy bucket.

Jaren Jackson Jr. gets the scoring started in Vegas 😤#USABMNT 🇺🇸 | Live on FS1 pic.twitter.com/3RZZrQB5Jh

— NBA (@NBA) August 8, 2023

While Ingram’s 11-point performance in Monday’s win won’t lead to any highlight reels, his success with the national team will be predicated on his willingness to make those simple plays repeatedly and at the correct times. While the New Orleans Pelicans often lean on Ingram for shot creation and scoring, Team USA doesn’t need him to carry a heavy offensive load. It needs him to be consistent and reliable with his decision-making on both ends. Ingram may not be Team USA’s leading scorer when the tournament is over, but his ability to do a little bit of everything will be crucial to getting all the pieces to fit together.

“I think B.I.’s going to be great for us. Just his length and his skill — getting to the basket, putting it on the floor. He’s an excellent passer. You saw him make a couple of really good defensive plays as well,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said after Monday’s scrimmage. “Brandon is a hell of a player. With his size and skill, he’s going to do a lot of damage.”

In a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, conducted during training camp, Ingram talkedabout the role he’ll fill this summer and how it’ll prepare him for next season with the Pelicans. He also discussed his future in New Orleans and the injuries that have often sidelined him the past few seasons.

(Note: Parts of the conversation have been edited for length and clarity.)

You’ve avoided the spotlight during the offseason for most of your career. What made you want to play for the national team this summer?

I heard a lot of voices. People said it would be good for me. I think it’s a great challenge for me, being able to play with so many talented players. You don’t do what you usually do on the basketball floor. You’ve got to adjust. That’s what life is about. That’s going to make me better for the Pelicans: making adjustments on the fly and trying to be the best I can be. Adapting in different moments.

I also want to get some bump going into the season so I can be ready. The way I ended last year, that’s how I want to start (next season). I feel like at the end of last year, that was the most comfortable I’ve felt on the court in a while.

During your time with the national team, how important will it be for you to fill a few different roles and do some things you aren’t asked to do as often with the Pelicans?

The mindset is different coming into this setting, of course. I want to be the best player on the floor every single day. But that might not mean I have to be a scorer. It might mean I have to defend a little bit more. It might mean I have to be the best passer I can be. I’m just trying to figure out whatever the team needs and fill that space.

WHAT A BLOCK BY BRANDON INGRAM 😳

Paolo finds Ant for the bucket 👀#USABMNT 🇺🇸 | Live on FS1 pic.twitter.com/5paEg7VFOT

— NBA (@NBA) August 8, 2023

Is it important for you to come in and prove you’re one of the best players in this tournament?

That’s the mentality that follows me everywhere I go. I’m always trying to prove that. We’ve got a lot of great players on this team. I think a lot of us are coming in trying to prove something.

What’s been the focus as you’ve been preparing this offseason? Have you been trying anything different?

The one thing I’ve been doing the most is trying to read faster and play faster. I’m always trying to expand my game and tighten up the things I do best. I’ve been visualizing a lot of things. Just thinking about our team, thinking about how I can be more effective and how I can help us be better. I’ve been working on everything. I know my guys are going to need me at my best.

With the Pelicans, the conversation is always about the main guys getting healthy and staying healthy. How much has the focus this offseason been on making sure your body is in a good place going into next season?

That’s my focus every single season. Unfortunately, we had a few injuries last year that you couldn’t do much to avoid. You can protect yourself, but you can’t stop injuries. You can prepare yourself in the summer. I’ve been trying to strengthen everything and build up my core. I feel stronger now when I’m moving around on the floor. You can’t stop certain things from happening, but I am paying more attention to the things I’m putting in my body (or) recovery time. (I’m asking myself), what am I doing to help my injuries? Whether it’s sleep or whatever else, I’m trying to make sure I stay on top of all of that.

New Orleans is heading into Year 5 with you and Zion Williamson as the cornerstones of the team. There’s been some disappointment over how these last few seasons have gone for you guys. How much urgency are you feeling heading into this season?

We have urgency going into every season. People look at our roster, and you can see we were the No. 1 team in the West at one point for a reason. I know people have used health and everything as an excuse for us. But we’ve got enough. We’ve just got to continue building our foundation every single day, making sure that when guys leave, we’re still playing the right way.

I’m excited about our team and the potential we’re building on. It’s been a process every single year. We’ve gotten better. We’ve gotten to know each other. We’ve figured out how all the pieces fit.

It’s going to be even better next year because the same guys have been together for three or four years now. You see the teams that win at an elite level — the Milwaukee Bucks, the Warriors, last year with the Denver Nuggets — those teams have been together and they’ve experienced a lot together. It takes time. We’ve just got to put our best foot forward and ensure everybody’s on the same page.

The frustrating part for you guys hasn’t just been the amount of injuries, but the fact that the top guys on the team have missed so much time. There have been some frustrations coming from the fan base over this. I’m sure you hear people asking, “Why isn’t B.I. out there? Why can’t he push through these injuries?” What do you think when you hear people say that?

At the end of the day, nobody wants to be out there more than me. No matter what fans say, or what anybody else says, nobody wants to be out there more than me. I put in the work. I’m preparing and I’m always ready.

But I also know when my body feels good, how I can push it and when I can push it. Every year, I go into the season preparing like I can play 100 games in the season. I’ve just had some injuries where I couldn’t. But I want to push through. I want to play basketball. That’s what I do the most. That’s probably the only thing I do out of all my days.

I know their frustration. But I want to play as much as they want me to play.

There was a lot of noise surrounding the team this summer about potentially moving up in the draft a few months ago. Some rumors were floating around that included your name and Zion’s name. When stuff like that starts popping up, does the front office make a point of reaching out to you to let you know what’s going on?

With me, I’m not on social media that much. So people will make a joke about it sometimes, or hit me up and ask me what’s going on with this thing they saw on TV. Most of the time, I’ll hear from the front office when that stuff pops up and they’ll tell me exactly what’s going on and how to feel about it. Any information that’s out there, they’ll clarify it and tell me if it was true or false.

I’ve got a good relationship with (Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin). He’ll come straight to me and tell me anything. I’m not too into what everybody was putting out there, but none of it bothered me. I also know this is a business, though, and I’ve got to be prepared for anything.

It feels like it wasn’t that long ago when you signed the five-year extension after your first year in New Orleans. But all of a sudden, you’ve only got two years left on that deal. How much are you thinking about your future with the Pelicans and what next summer might look like?

For me, I love New Orleans. It’s perfect for me and the way I want to operate. Less distractions. I can go play basketball whenever I want to. I’ve got direct access to the facility. I’ve got people close to me who can come to the gym and help me at any time. I feel connected with New Orleans and the people around me.

I remember signing that deal a few years ago, and I signed it after my fourth year. Most guys get their deal after their third year. It was different for me because I had to work and they wanted to see more from me after coming to (New Orleans) with (the blood clot issue) that forced me to miss time that previous year. That made me not think about getting paid, but just think about how much work I’m putting in. I knew (the work) was going to get noticed eventually.

I know my payday is coming around, so I don’t think too much of it. I’m just making sure I carry myself the right way. I’m sticking with what I know: If I stay in the gym, good things will come. I see the big money everybody else is getting, which is exciting.

I just want to keep my focus on my team. The most important thing for me is just winning. I know when you win, that takes care of everything else.

I get more excited seeing stuff like my guy Herb (Jones) get his contract.

Herb got a nice bag this summer, right?

Someone asked me the other day what my best moment has been in the NBA so far. I told them seeing Jose (Alvarado) and Herb get paid. I get to see them work every day. I know their personalities and I know how much they love basketball. I know how much they put into this. And those guys played four years in college, so they had to earn this. They had to wait their turn.

And after they got those contracts, they’ve remained the same people. I love that about those guys.

(Top photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images)

Will Guillory is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the New Orleans Pelicans. Before joining The Athletic, he was a writer at The Times-Picayune/NOLA Media Group, and he's been on the Pelicans beat since 2016. He is a New Orleans native. Follow William on Twitter @WillGuillory