Richmond hoops star Andre Ingram to appear on 'Wheel of Fortune' Friday - he's a lifelong fan
Andre Ingram has played on a basketball team with LeBron James. But when he set foot on the "Wheel of Fortune" stage, he was unable to play it cool.
"My mouth was wide open," he said. "Just seeing the set, then Pat Sajak and Vanna White ... surreal."
Ingram gained brief national fame in 2018, when he made his debut in the NBA at age 32 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He's spent his whole career toiling in basketball's minor leagues, and after his six games with the Lakers, he returned to the G-League, the next level below the NBA, to keep chasing his dream.
When the pandemic hit, though, the G-League shut down, and he returned to Richmond, where he graduated from Highland Springs, to continue his training.
He also made time every night for "Wheel," one of his favorite shows ever since he watched it with his parents (his dad, he notes, is more of a "Jeopardy!" guy).
"We were just watching one day, and saw they were still holding auditions," Ingram said. "I was like, man, we're not going anywhere any time soon. Why not?"
He made an audition video, which led to his appearance on the show, which will air on Channel 8 (WRIC) on Friday at 7 p.m.
