Scottie Barnes wasn't fooling anyone as he welcomed his newest teammate Brandon Ingram to Toronto.
The New Orleans Pelicans traded Ingram to the Toronto Raptors at the NBA trade deadline, and he quickly signed a shiny, new three-year, $120 million extension with his new team.
The Raptors held a press conference to introduce Ingram on Wednesday and his new teammates wanted to join in on the fun. He spotted some fellow Raptors who tried to blend in amongst the sea of media members, including Barnes and head coach Darko Rajaković.
Brandon Ingram laughs when he realizes a few Raptors players snuck into his press conference and starts shouting them out pic.twitter.com/dKHywko0ZW
— Libaan Osman (@libaanstar1) February 12, 2025
"I appreciate everybody for welcoming me with open arms," Ingram said to reporters via Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star. "[Ja'Kobe Walter], that's going to be my dog, that's going to be my rook. Scottie, I appreciate him, I think he's going to bring the goofy side out of me. ... Everybody over there, they have been welcoming and I appreciate every last one of them."
Barnes hilariously had his hood pulled up and used it to cover his mouth and nose, paired with big sunglasses to complete his undercover identity. Ingram already committed to Toronto for the long haul, so his new team had to show up for the welcome, too.
Ingram has been sidelined since early December with an ankle injury. His Raptor debut will wait until after the All-Star break, at least. He has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season in 18 appearances with New Orleans.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Brandon Ingram Cracked Up As Scottie Barnes Snuck Into Introductory Press Conference.
