Is playing in the NBA an art? For the New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram, his passion has been art, which has helped him take on the challenges of being a hoopster in the top flight. “It’s something to relax. It’s something I find myself doing just outside of the court.” Of course, basketball has been pivotal and the central focus of his life, but apart from that, BI enjoys sketching!

It is hard to imagine a 6-foot-9 NBA forward as a quiet type, but Ingram is a different player. He is soft-spoken, steady, and careful with his words; you’ll never see him show much emotion. But, when on the court, he is anything but a flat line. The Pelicans star has started the 2024-25 season in great form.

Although the Pelicans are 3-7 for the season, Brandon Ingram has managed to average 22.8 points per game, putting in great numbers for his team. The Duke alum has already entered his ninth season in the NBA and the time when he was drafted by the LA Lakers seems like not too long ago. He has since then developed into a great player and even made the All-Star team.

However, his making it to the NBA was nothing short of a miracle. Athletes rising above dangerous conditions and escaping troubles are probably some of the oldest tropes in sports. But that doesn’t make Brandon Ingram’s story any less remarkable! Let’s know more about where the Pelican hails from and his career journey while looking deeper into his roots.

Where is Brandon Ingram from? Is the Pelicans’ star American?

Brandon Ingram grew up in a one-story house on Highland Avenue on the north side of Kinston, North Carolina. So, he is an American of African-American ethnicity. Growing up in a dangerous neighborhood, Brandon has lost friends and former teammates through gun violence. As he said, “It’s a good town, but as I grew older, it got kind of violent,” he recalled growing up in Kinston.

However, our hoopster was kept clear of the chaos and bullets because his talents were seen as exceptional by friends and paternal neighborhood watchdogs. “Most of those guys I knew as friends, but they knew the direction I was headed. They tried to protect me, even in the gym. They would tell me to sit down or something. If I’m in the wrong place, they’d let me know,” Ingram narrated.

Brandon’s dad, Donald Ingram, was initially a police officer. He then fruitlessly pursued his dreams of going pro in overseas hoops leagues. Eventually, he became a manager of a local gym and worked at a welding plant where he made forklifts.

Whereas his mother, Joann Ingram, as per sources, worked as a manager at Neil Medical Group. Both his parents share a very special bond with Ingram and have supported him throughout his career from high school, to Duke and the NBA as well. BI also has two half-siblings as both his parents were married to previous partners before. He shares a father with Bo; his brother grew up 10 minutes away and spent his weekend teaching Ingram basketball, and a mother with his younger sister, Brittany.

Did Brandon Ingram play for the Team USA in the Olympics?

The New Orleans Pelicans forward hooped for Team USA in the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup. He was selected after a great season with his franchise and the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, David Griffin said, “We could not be more excited for BI to play for the USA Men’s National Team and proudly represent himself, his family, the Pelicans, and his country on the international stage,” labeling it was a big opportunity for the household name to showcase his talent at the world stage.

Brandon Ingram had a good showing at the tournament in which the USA finished fourth, as he averaged 5.7 points, 3 boards, and 2.7 assists at the World Cup. He was also a part of the 2016 USA Select Team that trained with the 2016 Olympic Team. Although he’s represented his country on multiple occasions and levels, he hasn’t dawned the national colors in the Olympics as of now. While he couldn’t get his ticket to Paris, it’s important to note that Ingram was named in the initial 41-athlete player pool but wasn’t shortlisted.