Raptors’ Ingram reflects on years past after win
Global News
Brandon Ingram had plenty to reflect on before he trotted onto the court at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.
TORONTO – Brandon Ingram had plenty to reflect on before he trotted onto the court at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.
His strong 33-point performance in the Toronto Raptors’ 123-107 victory against the Chicago Bulls just happened to come on the one-year anniversary of his trade to Canada from the New Orleans Pelicans.
“Yeah, my brother mentioned the anniversary when I was talking to him,” the 28-year-old Ingram said. “But I also thought about my great aunt. It would have been her birthday (on Friday).”
Leatha Smith had a massive impact on Ingram’s development as a youngster. She raised him for seven years in North Carolina. She passed away in the summer before his freshman season at Duke University.
But Ingram not only thinks about his great aunt on her birthday, but also at Christmas time. She gifted him his first mobile phone in one of their last holiday seasons together.
“I think about her a lot,” Ingram said. “She raised me for seven years. I know she’s looking down at me, and she is proud of me.”
Tattooed on the back of his bicep is the quote, “Fear of suffering is far worse than suffering itself.” The words are from Brazilian philosopher Paulo Coelho in his book, The Alchemist. This became a mantra for Ingram because his great aunt repeated the line often.
So much so, Ingram decided to get the tattoo.
