Brandon Ingram would’ve really appreciated the video tribute the New Orleans Pelicans showed during the first timeout of Wednesday night’s game.
Well, except there was one problem.
“I didn’t even get to look at it because (coach) Darko (Rajakovic) was yelling,” Ingram said.
But Ingram, in his first game back in the Smoothie King Center since being traded from the Pelicans to the Toronto Raptors last February, didn’t really need to see or hear a video to know how much the folks in New Orleans appreciates him.
He could feel it.
He felt it from the time he walked into the building until the time he headed to the locker room to “BRAN-DON IN-GRAM” chants. It took him a while to reach his destination because he stopped and signed as many autographs as he could. It took him even longer to get to his postgame press conference as former teammates and coaches stopped and chatted with him in the hallway.
“It was everything that I pictured,” Ingram said about the night. “All the love that I got from the fans, old coaches, my teammates, the ushers, security. Everybody showed love. They gave me my flowers while I was here.”
Ingram spent 5 ½ seasons with the Pelicans, arriving in 2019 as part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time Ingram was traded, he ranked in the top 10 in franchise history in points, rebounds and assists. He made his first All-Star game as a member of the Pelicans and made his second one this season.
During the game, the fans showed their appreciation for his time in New Orleans.
After the game, Ingram returned the favor and showed his appreciation for his time in New Orleans.
“It made me who I am today,” Ingram said. “I grew every single year with Willie Green, Alvin Gentry and Stan Van Gundy and they pushed me to be a better player each and every year. They taught me different things. I love the fans. I love the coaching staff and I love my teammates and the city. It was a fun time for sure.”
The only part that wasn’t fun for Ingram was the game itself.
The Pelicans beat the Raptors 122-111. Ingram finished with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. He shot just 8-of-19 from the floor, including 2-for-7 on 3-pointers.
“I needed a little bit of love today anyway because I’ve been playing terrible,” Ingram said. “Everywhere I went, I heard fans calling me. I stopped and signed jerseys and remembered some old faces of people that had season tickets. I felt like I should show them love back.”
For Ingram, this night was all about returning to the city that he loved so much because it reminded him of his hometown of Kinston, North Carolina.
"I felt the energy and love throughout the whole game," Ingram said.
It had been 14 months since Ingram last played a game in New Orleans after limping off the Smoothie King Center court with an ankle sprain in December of 2024. That ended up being his final game playing for the Pelicans. He was traded two months later, ending his time with a team that was banking on him and Zion Williamson being the duo that would change the franchise's trajectory. Ingram and Williamson both arrived in New Orleans in 2019: Ingram via that blockbuster trade and Williamson as the No. 1 pick in the draft. The two of them chatted for about 20 minutes after Wednesday’s game.
“It was good talking to him,” Ingram said. “We were together for a while and we wanted to build something that would lead to a championship or a Finals appearance. It was good just to catch up with him to see where he is in his career. I’m happy for him that he’s healthy and on the basketball floor doing what he loves.”
But really, everyone was doing what they loved Wednesday. Pelicans’ fans, for the first time ever, got a chance to see Ingram, Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones all on the Smoothie King Center court at the same time. So what if they weren't all playing on the same team.
It didn't matter that Ingram was wearing a different color jersey. The crowd still cheered for him.
His girlfriend, rap star GloRilla, sat courtside. She knew how much this night meant to B.I.
“I love to see him getting all the love,” she said.
B.I. loved seeing it, too.
And when he couldn’t see it because his coach was yelling, he could still feel it.