NEW YORK — Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn are at opposite sides of the age spectrum among incoming NBA rookies. Ingram, just 18, is the youngest American-born player expected to go in the lottery (Dragan Bender of Maccabi Tel Aviv is slightly younger). Dunn, at 22, is only a few months younger than heralded senior Buddy Hield. The age discrepancy showed itself occasionally in the way they carried themselves when we got the opportunity to chat with them last week as part of a special Speed Stick inspired look at what it’s like off the court for NBA lottery picks.
I don’t pay too much attention to the off-court nonsense, except for work, but NBA rookies don’t have much of a choice. They’re trying to capitalize on their moment in the spotlight because the window for big money can close quickly (just ask Adam Morrison). That means commercials and interviews — like the one I did with both of them in a dark, nondescript space along 39th Street in midtown Manhattan.
Both Ingram and Dunn are tabbed by most draft analysts to go within the first few picks when names are called Thursday night. Many feel Ingram is the second-best player in the draft, and his smooth shooting and length — he stands at 6-foot-9, but has the handle of a guard — has led many to call the 2016 Draft a two-player affair. There’s even been talk that, because he’s the superior shooter over presumptive No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, Ingram might be a natural selection for the first pick, what with the way the NBA has become such a perimeter-oriented league that emphasizes shooting and the spacing for drives to the bucket the threat of shooting enables.
But Dunn, a muscular 6-foot-4 guard who overcame consecutive lumbar injuries to begin his college career — he had surgery his sophomore year — only to be named back-to-back Big East Player of the Year and back-to-back Big East Defensive Player of the Year, is slotted to go No. 3 with the Celtics. Some draft “experts” even say he’d be an upgrade over All-Star Isaiah Thomas. He’s ready-made for this stage, and that was made clear long before this summer.
Despite how close in time they could be called by Adam Silver at the Barclays Center on Thursday night, talking to them together highlighted how dissimilar their paths have been to this moment. Dunn talked a lot about being doubted, and overcoming adversity. Ingram, in a whisper that’s almost impossible to hear at times, seemed like your average 18-year-old — still trying on personalities as he tries to figure out his own place in the world beyond basketball.
At first, the only difference between Ingram and a standard college freshman seemed merely physical: incredible length coupled with a smooth jumper, some serious handle for a player his size and a surprising defensive toughness. But as the interview progressed, it became clear that Ingram isn’t any normal teenager. He’s already pretty comfortable in his role as future NBA player.
DIME: What’s the last thing you googled?
Dunn: (without pausing for a second) Jennifer Aniston.
Just Jennifer Aniston? Did you want to see a picture of her?
Dunn: Yeah, one of my guys said she looks better than Beyonce, so I looked at her.
What did you think? Was he right?
Dunn: No, she’s definitely beautiful. She has the natural beauty. But come on, that’s a different tier.
Ingram: A drawing, a sketch. (Makes sense)
Favorite hoops movie of all time?
Dunn: Definitely White Men Can’t Jump. That’s a great one.
Ingram: I like The Sixth Man.
Who would you want to star in the Michael Jordan role for the purported Space Jam 2 film that might be happening?
Ingram: I personally don’t think there should be another Space Jam.
Dunn: Fact. You don’t do that to classics.
I didn’t know you guys identified so much with it because it was made before you were born.
Dunn: That was our cartoon!
Who is the best rapper alive today?
Dunn: For me, it would be Lil Wayne, even though he took a little crazy turn on me. But The Carters are classic.
He drank a lot of the juice. The Purple Drank is good, it’s tasty [laughs].
Dunn: When he was doing The Carter albums he was going crazy. I haven’t seen anyone do a project like that.
Kendrick Lamar?
Dunn: He be taping out sometimes.
Ingram: My favorite artist is J.Cole.
Dunn: That’s a good one.
What’s the last music you listened to?
Dunn: Probably Future. He bring that real feel.
Ingram: Kodak Black.
Dunn: That’s a good one.
What was the earliest memory you have where you realized you could make the NBA?
Dunn: Being selected to the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic. A lot of people doubted me. Making that accomplishment, me and my family, we started to say ‘OK, I can go somewhere with basketball.’
So you knew you could make that next step?
Dunn: I knew I had the chance and the opportunity to make my dream come true. I just had to do really good at basketball and college.
Before that did you just think you could play big-time college basketball, but you didn’t know if you could do that next thing.
Dunn: Right, exactly.
Ingram: It was around the same time. Except it wasn’t just making it, it was playing well in the practices and playing well in the game. Once I saw I could compete with those guys, then I really thought I could be in the NBA.
Did that confidence get affected once you started playing college basketball?
Ingram: I think mine kind of grew. Growing up I didn’t think it would happen this fast. I always had the dream to be in the NBA, but I didn’t think it would happen this fast, and when I played with the guys at the highest level and then I got to college and I could play there.
The lumbar issue set you (Dunn) back. Was there ever a moment you thought it was over? You said people doubted you, so bring us through that?
Dunn: It was definitely devastating. Going through your mind, you fell like can I play at this level, that I know I can play at and be the same person that I can be on the court. But I have a great support system: My dad, my brother, they pushed me through; they helped me get over the hump and they just told me to go out and and keep fighting.
Do you think the injuries made you a little stronger?
Dunn: Any adversity is going to make somebody stronger. That’s a fact. That’s how I looked at it. I’m gonna go out there, I play with a chip on my shoulder and try to play the best every game.
What led you to come back after winning back-to-back Big East Player Of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards? What components of the game did you think you needed to get better at?
Dunn: Probably my all-around game. You know both sides of the floor. I only played one full year of college basketball. I still knew I needed to polish my game. I always told reporters, I didn’t just want to be in the NBA, I wanted to be ready. I wanted to go in there and try to make an impact right away. So I knew I had to polish some things up in order to do that. I think it was the best decision I made. I got my college degree and now I have a chance to be a lottery pick. Just enjoying this time with my family and doing stuff like this is unbelievable.
After being thrust into the limelight ahead of this draft, are you watching yourselves more on social media, specifically Twitter? I know you [Kris Dunn] just joined a few weeks back, but Brandon is that something you consciously think about?
Dunn: I try to stay away from it.
Ingram: I don’t tweet much. Usually when I tweet it’s something inspirational or motivational. I’ve always watched what I say on Twitter because I know people are always watching and some people look up to me. So when I’m on social media I always sound motivational.
What’s some advice you’ve gotten from your professional basketball mentors (fellow Providence guard God Shammgod for Dunn, and fellow Kinston, North Carolina native Jerry Stackhouse for Ingram)?
Dunn: From Sham, that’s my mentor, but that’s like my brother. He always told me to stay true to myself. He always felt like I was one of the best players in the country. Just go out there and believe in yourself. Have that confidence; confidence is key to any level that you play in. You go out there and have that confidence and feel like you can be the best player on the court, and just go do it. That’s what he told me.
Ingram: For Stack, just stay grounded. You can get tempted and…you can do things and feel like you’re on top of the world, but you’re just like someone else. Just not having an ego. You’re just a basketball player.
For Kris, Sham said you were going to make the All-Star team 13-14 times. Is that something you foresee for yourself, or is that Sham just being super confident?
Dunn: No that’s Sham. Like I said, Sham’s always been a believer in me, so he’s definitely gonna set those high standards for me. I think for anybody coming into the NBA they should be the best they can be. I’m not gonna say I’m coming in my first year and being an All-Star because that’s very hard to do with how many great players that play in the NBA. But why not try to set that goal from four of five years from now. Right now I’m just trying to go in there and try to make a name for myself and show people I’m willing to work.
What’s going to be the biggest adjustment at the next level?
Ingram: I think just adjusting to the 82-game season. Coming out of college and play about 30 to 40 games and try to maintain your body and stay healthy for the 82-game season.
Dunn: I agree with that. The 82 games, the traveling, going from place to place, that can get tiring, living out of a suitcase. And probably the tempo of the game. Everyone says it’s faster, but I can’t really tell until I get out there.
Was there a moment this past year where you knew you were ready for the NBA?
Dunn: Probably not until the season was done. I enjoyed every moment, every game, every practice that I was in because I knew I wouldn’t get it back. I was around a great group of guys, those are my brothers, you’re gonna see them on draft night, they’re all gonna support me. I didn’t think about the NBA until the season was over, to be honest.
Ingram: My ultimate goal in college was to win a national championship, so after not winning a national championship, I thought about actually not going back. I just took two weeks off and just thought about the decision. I really wanted to go back, but after the talk with the coach, I just thought about the opportunity and I know that I could possibly get injured if I go back another year, so I just knew I had to take the opportunity.
