NEW YORK—The Los Angeles Lakers passed on Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor with the second pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, but decided a Blue Devil rookie was worth the No. 2 pick in 2016.
The Lakers selected Brandon Ingram with the second pick in Thursday's NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, making Ingram a franchise centerpiece in a major move since the recent retirement of guard Kobe Bryant, who brought five championships to Los Angeles.
"You kind of feel pressure, but it's a good pressure," Ingram said. "It gives you motivation and the potential to be someone like Kobe Bryant and some of the greats in the league."
Thursday marks the third straight year a one-and-done player from Durham has been a top-three pick.
The Milwaukee Bucks picked Jabari Parker second in 2014 and the Philadelphia 76ers—who selected LSU's Ben Simmons with the No. 1 pick Thursday—took Jahlil Okafor with the third pick last year. Duke is just the third program ever to have top-three picks in three consecutive years, joining UCLA and Kentucky.
Ingram was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2015-16, averaging 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The Kinston, N.C., native elevated his level of play in the NCAA tournament, averaging 23.0 points and 6.3 boards per contest in three games.
After senior Amile Jefferson suffered a season-ending foot injury in December, Ingram showcased his versatility the rest of the season by playing as Duke's unofficial power forward and still making 41.0 percent of his 3-pointers. The All-ACC performer played big minutes the rest of his freshman season, averaging 34.6 per game.
"Brandon was a special player this year at Duke, and his best basketball is still ahead of him. I have absolutely loved coaching Brandon because he is a no-maintenance player who loves and respects the game," Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a press release.
Ingram said one of the biggest things he learned from Krzyzewski and former Duke star J.J. Redick, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, was how to always strive for improvement regardless of his success.
"I use that day by day just for me to work hard each and every day, and know that no matter how good I worked out today, no matter how good I thought I was today, I can always get better and I can always be a better person," Ingram said. "Even Coach K thinks he can be a better coach each and every day, so if he thinks that, I can definitely can be a better basketball player."
The 6-foot-9 forward has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and has long been coveted as a top pro prospect despite concerns about his weight. The lanky forward started his Duke career at 169 pounds, but said last week on ESPN "First Take" that he finished the season at 192 pounds and has since added five pounds to his frame. He added that he hopes to get to 210 pounds before the NBA season starts.
Los Angeles' 2015-16 season was focused on the retirement of five-time champion Kobe Bryant, but the Lakers will add Ingram to a young core featuring 2015 No. 2 pick and point guard D'Angelo Russell, second-year guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Julius Randle. Randle was picked seventh overall in 2014 but missed the 2014-15 season after breaking his leg.
"I think I fit in that mold just watching those guys over the last season and just knowing they're young guys but they're all good guys," Ingram said.
Ingram will join former Blue Devil standout Ryan Kelly with the Lakers and look to inject life into a franchise that has won 11 championships since moving to Los Angeles but only won 38 games in the past two seasons.
The Lakers recently introduced former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton as their head coach, and Ingram said he was excited to play in an offense with plenty of pace and space on the perimeter.
"Of course everyone wants to play like the Golden State Warriors," Ingram said. "With the young guys that we have, the shooting ability and the passing ability for D'Angelo Russell and the different things that the Lakers do, I think it's a good fit for me."
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