Andre Ingram's call up to the NBA was a longtime dream come true, and it came with a pretty solid payday.
- Andre Ingram suited up for an NBA game for the first time in his career on Tuesday after ten years in the G League.
- Ingram made the most of his debut, scoring 19 points, and earning chants of "MVP" from the Lakers fans.
- While the moment was a dream come true, it also came along with a good payday for Ingramas he will get $13,824 for his three days worth of work with the franchise.
Tuesday night was a dream come true for Andre Ingram.
For the past decade, Ingram had been grinding away in the G League without ever playing in an NBA game. Then, the Lakers surprised him, telling the 32-year-old player at what was supposed to be his exit interview for the 2017-18 season that he'd be making his NBA debut at the Staples Center.
Ingram's reaction was priceless, and he would go on to make the most of his opportunity, going off for 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting in his debut for the purple and gold and earning chants of "MVP" from the crowd.
After his impressive performance, Ingram's teammates and coaches celebrated their new player, with head coach Luke Walton complimenting him on his determination to stick with the sport despite its demanding travel schedule and low pay. That said, Ingram's call-up will give him a nice cash bonus to cap off years of getting underpaid in the G League.
As ESPN's Darren Rovell noted, Ingram will earn $13,824 for his three days with the Lakers, after making just $19,000 for the entirety of his G League season. The stat reveals the need for higher compensation amongst G League players, especially those who have been grinding for years in the minors, but with that said, it's hard to imagine anyone in basketball more deserving of an almost $14,000 payday.
Ingram got to live out his dream of playing in the NBA on Tuesday night and made the most of it. It's a night he'll never forget, and after ten years of G League pay and tutoring math on the side to make ends meet, it's nice that his dream comes with a substantial paycheck as well.