Toronto Raptors' Brandon Ingram explains why he picked new jersey number
The Toronto Raptors’ most recently acquired star player is looking for a fresh start in his new city.
And for Brandon Ingram, who was picked up prior to last week’s trade deadline, that seems to start with a new jersey number.
For the first time in his NBA career, and now on his third team after stops with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, Ingram will be rocking No. 3 with Toronto.
It’s a number best known in Raptors history by being occupied by OG Anunoby, though he’s actually the third-most recent player to don it. Kira Lewis Jr. rocked it for all of one game in Toronto last year after the Anunoby trade, while DJ Carton wore it for eight games over the past two seasons.
“Some of my friends call me ‘three,'” Ingram said at his introductory press conference on Thursday night. “I actually texted the group chat with some of my friends and gave them number three, eight and 11, and they said number three. So I just went with number three.”
A new era begins in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/w8BgDKAnEy
— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) February 12, 2025
Ingram had previously worn No. 14 in both of his previous NBA stops.
But Ingram revealed that he debated trying to pry numbers away from the Raptors’ last two first-round picks: Ja’Kobe Walter (his old No. 14) and Gradey Dick (No. 1).
“I thought about changing my number anyway,” Ingram explained. “I was going to text Ja’Kobe and be like, ‘You got to give that up.’ I thought about asking Gradey Dick for No. 1 also. But I was like, I’m gonna do number three.”
Ingram added that Toronto’s front office has some lofty goals for their new 27-year-old acquisition.
“The first thing that I heard is they want to make me an All-Star again,” said Ingram, who made his first and to date only All-Star game in 2019-20, his first year in New Orleans.
Ingram was also asked about a tattoo in Chinese characters on his neck, which he revealed translated to “gem.”
“I’m a gemstone, I feel like that’s why he came and got me,” said Ingram, referring to Raptors general manager Bobby Webster, who was sitting beside him on Wednesday. “I’ve been injured a little bit. So, you know, I’ve been forgotten a little bit. I feel like coming to Toronto, I have a good chance to sprout out a little bit.”
While Ingram is currently nursing an ankle injury and has no clear timeline for his return to play, it shouldn’t be too long before he’s wearing the No. 3 jersey in action.