布兰登·英格拉姆自豪地来自北卡罗来纳州的金斯顿——一个被当地人称为“篮球天堂”的地方。
金斯顿位于杰克逊维尔以北约50分钟车程，夏洛特以东4小时车程的地方，这里经历过不少艰难时刻——洪水、贫困和帮派暴力。
事实上，2016年的一项研究将金斯顿的犯罪指数排在100个城市中的第1位——1意味着最危险。
尽管布兰登幸运地避开了这些危险，但他并非对此视而不见。
他曾因枪支暴力失去朋友和队友，目睹帮派控制他的社区，并看到朋友们做出糟糕的选择，毁掉了他们的未来。
正如英格拉姆回忆的那样，“这是一个不错的小镇，但随着我长大，这里变得有些暴力。大多数人都知道我前进的方向。他们会试图保护我……如果我在错误的地方，他们会提醒我。”
对布兰登来说，篮球不仅仅是一项运动——它是他通往更好生活的门票。而且他知道自己能做到。毕竟，他出生在“篮球天堂”。
平均而言，每10,000名注册的高中篮球运动员中只有3人能进入NBA。
然而，在1972年至2020年期间，金斯顿高中校队的每52名球员中就有1人进入NBA。这比全国平均水平高出60多倍。
这个小镇培养了几位NBA球员，包括雷吉·布洛克、杰里·斯塔克豪斯、塞德里克·麦克斯韦尔、查尔斯·沙克尔福德、托尼·道森和赫伯特·希尔。当然，还有布兰登·英格拉姆。尽管金斯顿面临诸多挑战，但这个小镇培养出了在最大舞台上取得伟大成就的人才。
尽管布兰登来自一个充满诱惑的小镇，但那些教过他、指导过他或与他一起打过球的人几乎都用相同的词来形容他：安静、谦逊、有礼貌、关心他人。他的一位大学队友甚至称他为“健身房老鼠”，回忆起布兰登的日常生活是如何围绕健身房和房间展开的——训练、休息、重复。
这种习惯一直延续到他的职业生涯中。他在湖人和鹈鹕的队友和教练也会这样描述他。
除了在球场上的专注，英格拉姆还以坚强的性格和社区外展活动而闻名。他总是在球队遭遇艰难失利后努力鼓舞队友，或在队友心情不好时为他们加油打气。
他的举止直接反映了他的成长环境，这得益于两位了不起的父母、两个同父异母的兄弟姐妹和一个支持他的大家庭——一位伟大的阿姨和一位叔叔。
布兰登在一个稳定而充满爱的家庭中长大。他的哥哥多诺万（也被称为Bo）经常和他一起打篮球。事实上，英格拉姆认为与多诺万年长的朋友们一起打球是他年轻时最大的幸运之一。
布兰登的父亲唐纳德在塑造他的生活中起到了关键作用。唐纳德曾是一名警察，后来经营当地的娱乐中心，他对篮球并不陌生。他曾参加过半职业联赛，对篮球场和街头篮球都非常熟悉。
当他回到金斯顿时，唐纳德与当地篮球传奇人物杰里·斯塔克豪斯成为了朋友。斯塔克豪斯当时正在积极招募当地球员进行休赛期训练，以提高自己的比赛水平，他对唐纳德非常喜欢，两人成为了好朋友。
在八年级时，斯塔克豪斯成为了英格拉姆的AAU教练，指导这位年轻球员并将他的比赛水平提升到一个新的高度。在斯塔克豪斯的指导下，布兰登作为一名球员和一个人都得到了极大的成长和发展。
人际关系就是一切，篮球场上没有巧合。2011年，杰里·斯塔克豪斯执教布兰登·英格拉姆。2015年，他在多伦多猛龙队担任助理教练。
猛龙队在2016年NBA选秀中有两个选秀权——他们用这两个选秀权选中了雅各布·珀尔特尔和帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆。
我想知道，杰里·斯塔克豪斯当时是否曾与马赛·乌杰里谈论过这位来自杜克大学、身材瘦长、才华横溢的18岁天才布兰登·英格拉姆。我想知道这是否埋下了一颗种子。
从篮球天堂到北方。布兰登的下一章将是最精彩的
Brandon Ingram is proudly from Kinston, North Carolina—a place locals call 'Basketball Heaven'.
Located about 50 minutes north of Jacksonville and 4 hours east of Charlotte, Kinston has seen its fair share of hardships—floods, poverty and gang violence.
In fact, a 2016 study ranked Kinston 1 out of 100 in terms of the Crime Index—1 means the most dangerous.
Though Brandon was fortunate to be shielded from these dangers, he wasn't blind to them.
He has lost friends and teammates to gun violence, watched gangs take control of his neighborhood, and seen friends make poor choices that derailed their futures.
As Ingram recalled, “It’s a good town, but as I grew older, it got kind of violent. Most of those guys knew the direction I was headed. They would try to protect me… if I’m in the wrong place, they’d let me know.”
For Brandon, basketball was more than just a game—it was his ticket to a better life. And he knew he could do it. Afterall, he was born in 'basketball heaven'.
On average, only 3 out of every 10,000 registered high school basketball players make it to the NBA.
However, between 1972 and 2020 : 1 out of every 52 players on Kinston High's varsity team made it to the NBA. That’s more than 60 times greater than the national average.
The town has produced several NBA players, including Reggie Bullock, Jerry Stackhouse, Cedric Maxwell, Charles Shackleford, Tony Dawson, and Herbert Hill. And of course, Brandon Ingram. Despite Kinston’s challenges, the town has nurtured talent that’s gone on to achieve greatness on the biggest stage.
Though Brandon hails from a town rife with temptations, those who’ve taught, coached, or played with him describe him in almost identical terms: quiet, humble, polite, and caring. One of his college teammates even referred to him as a “gym rat,” recalling how Brandon’s daily routine revolved around the gym and his room—training, resting, and repeating.
This has carried on in the pros. His Lakers and Pelicans teammates and coaches would describe him the same way.
In addition to his dedication on the court, Ingram is known for his strong character and community outreach. He always tries to uplift his teammates after a tough loss or cheer them up when they're having a bad day.
His demeanor is a direct reflection of his upbringing, shaped by two incredible parents, two half siblings and a supportive extended family—a great aunt and an uncle.
Brandon grew up in a stable and loving home. His brother, Donovan (also known as Bo), often played basketball with him. In fact, Ingram credits playing alongside Donovan’s older friends as one of the greatest blessings of his youth.
Brandon’s father, Donald, played a pivotal role in shaping his life. A former police officer who later ran a local recreation center, Donald was no stranger to basketball. Having played through semi-professional leagues, he was no stranger to the hardwood or the asphalt.
When he returned to Kinston, Donald befriended local basketball legend Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhouse, who was actively recruiting local players for offseason training to sharpen his own game, took a real liking to Doland and the two became good friends.
In eighth grade, Stackhouse became Ingram’s AAU coach, mentoring the young player and taking his game to the next level. That time under Stackhouse's tutelage helped propel Brandon’s growth and development, both as a player and as a person.
Connections are everything and there are no coincidences in basketball. In 2011 Jerry Stackhouse was coaching Brandon Ingram. In 2015 he took a job with the Toronto Raptors as an assistant.
The Raptors had 2 picks in the 2016 NBA draft—picks they used on Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam.
I wonder if Jerry Stackhouse talked to Masai Ujiri back then about this gangly, talented 18-year-old phenom named Brandon Ingram from Duke. I wonder if that planted a seed.
From Basketball Heaven to the North. Brandon's next chapter will be the best yet.
