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Brandon Ingram takes a subtle shot at his old team and praises Toronto Raptors fans

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Sep 29 2025, 7:45 pm
Brandon Ingram takes a subtle shot at his old team and praises Toronto Raptors fans
Ingram was all smiles on media day (@Raptors/X)

Toronto Raptors star Brandon Ingram knows he’s been off the court for quite a while.

In fact, 296 days, to be exact.

Ingram, who was traded midway through last season from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Raptors, missed much of last NBA season due to a severe ankle issue. And he’ll tell you exactly how long it’s been since his last game.

“I haven’t stepped on the floor since Dec. 7,” Ingram said to reporters at Toronto’s media day.

But feeling healthy and ready to get back on the court, the 2020 NBA All-Star is hoping to prove himself once again on his third NBA franchise, heading into his 10th year in the league.

“This is what I live for. This is what I do… It’s going to be exciting to go on the floor and
compete,” he added.

The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 18 games with New Orleans last season.

toronto raptors

Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images

And despite still waiting to make his debut for Toronto, he seems to have already taken quite a liking to the local fanbase.

The Raptors’ 11th-ranked attendance was the highest of any team that failed to make the postseason, in comparison to the 24th-ranked attendance in New Orleans.

“The most impressive thing for me is seeing every seat in the arena filled up every single game, no matter [whether we were] winning or losing. That definitely wasn’t there in New Orleans,” Ingram said in response to a question asked by Offside.

Earlier this year, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic had called Ingram an “amazing talent,” sharing his excitement for eventually getting to work with him,

“[He’s] one of the best shooters in the league. So we’re definitely excited to have him join our team and to learn our style, to learn how we want to play, how we want to share the ball,” Rajakovic said.

On Monday, Rajakovic echoed those comments, saying that he thinks the best is yet to come from his new star.

“I want Brandon to be himself… He’s now 27 years old. He’s entering his prime. I also expect him to take his game to another level,” Rajakovic added.

If all goes well, Ingram’s home debut will come in just under a month, with the Raptors slated to start their Toronto slate against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 24.

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