Brandon Ingram from the Los Angeles Lakers earned a spot on the NBA All-Stars Rising Stars roster and talked to us about all the Arizona Wildcats he’s surrounded by.
It’s not every day that you get to ask an NBA Lottery Pick and Rising Star about your former Arizona Basketball players and how they are doing coaching one of the most famous teams in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers. During NBA All-Star Weekend we got that chance to do just that while hanging out at the Mountain Dew Kickstart Courtside Studios set up across from Staples Center.
At the Venue, there was a three-story structure set up. On the first floor, there was a VIP Lounge where Hollywood’s élite hung out with NBA Players such as Lakers Kyle Kuzma. There were also were swings set up and a contest to win autographed basketballs, NBA Jerseys, and Kyrie’s (basketball shoes). While I was waiting I decided to try my luck, and when I put my kickstart can in the prize selector, I did not get a buzzer, I got the fanfare! I thought I won shoes, but I won an autographed basketball.
Arizona Wildcats Basketball
Sounds great, right? Well, it was signed by Los Angeles Clipper and former Wisconsin Badger Sam Dekker. If you remember correctly, Dekker was the player, along with Frank ‘The Tank” Kaminsky, who put away the Cats in the Elite 8 in 2015. Dekker scored 27, went 5-for-6 beyond the arc while Stanley Johnson sat on the bench with a poked eye. I cannot deny that Dekker is very talented and showed that on the court they set up when he took part in a shoot-around and didn’t miss a shot.
The second floor had a photo opportunity along with auditions for Kevin Hart to sit court side at a playoff game with him. That was fun too. On each level was an open Mountain Dew bar where you could get any flavor of Kickstart soda you wanted. On the third floor or top floor, that is where the public interviews went on. Kevin Hart, Terrence J, and King Bach interviewed NBA All-Stars such as Andre Drummond, Bradley Beale, Russell Westbrook, and Kyrie Irving.
@MountainDew #courtsidekick @KevinHart4real studio https://t.co/jkY2KazFTQ
— Shereen Rayan - Sports Broadcaster/Writer (@SportsCrazee) February 17, 2018
The NBA All-Stars and Rising Stars filed in every couple of hours with their entourages through the back near the food trucks. That’s where we got our opportunity to sit down, have a kickstart and get to know Brandon Ingram better. Since I also Contribute to the Lake Show Life for FanSided, I always want to hear about how our former Arizona Wildcats are doing.
Head coach Luke Walton and his assistant coaches Miles Simon, Jud Buechler, and Jesse Mermuys round out the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff. I asked BI about them, his fellow east coast baller and friend Rawle Alkins and if he thinks Rondae Hollis-Jefferson rocks his hairdo well or not.
The two-day NBA All-Star Kickstart event ended with a concert featuring Ty Dolla $ign, which was fun, and I had a front-row seat.
@tydollasign https://t.co/9ZMaqrydw8
— Shereen Rayan - Sports Broadcaster/Writer (@SportsCrazee) February 19, 2018
Must Read: More on Arizona Basketball from ZZ..
Keep posted to Zona Zealots for more exclusive Arizona Wildcats coverage from Los Angeles. Just last night we caught a thriller CIF Playoff game with Crossroads High School star forward, 6-foot-10 Shareef O’Neal. ZZ wants to thank Breanna Suden and Sebastian Masmela of the Golin PR Agency (Go All In) for the opportunity to sit down with BI! And we want to thank BI for sharing! Bear Down Arizona!