The Los Angeles Lakers remain one of the premier franchises in the NBA. The list of legends to wear purple and gold range from the likes of Jerry West and Magic Johnson to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant most recently. One current player who has the potential to join that list is Brandon Ingram.
Ingram has a lot of pressure coming into his second season as Magic Johnson is expecting him to lead this young Lakers team. An extremely hard worker, Ingram has shown great flashes, but still has a ways to go. Working with legends like Kobe would undoubtedly help his development.
Ingram has long talked about the possibility of having a workout with Bryant and though it hasn’t happened yet, he still plans on it. According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, he still has planned out a tactical film session alongside the five-time champion:
And Ingram remained committed to his anticipated workout with former Lakers star Kobe Bryant that will focus on learning how he watches film, scouts teams and studies player tendencies.
“Everything we do on the basketball court is mental,” Ingram said. “It’s nothing physical.”
When it comes to the mental aspect of the game, perhaps no player got the most out of themselves and drove themselves further than Bryant. The 20-year veteran was able to push himself to great limits, with unmatched preparation and constant reflection in order to improve his overall game.
Ingram was able to get acclimated to the NBA during his rookie season, progressing as he gained more and more experience. However, he also did have growing pains adjusting to the style of play, which is all a part of the process. The 19-year-old showed immense improvement towards the end of the season, with a developing hunger and drive.
The former Blue Devil can certainly learn a lot from Bryant, stemming from progressing his own overall game or how he should be evaluating his opponents and in the film room. The Lakers would surely encourage any growth for Ingram, especially lining up once again within their championship lineage.
