With training camp officially open, the NBA season is fast approaching. But before we get to real basketball, there’s still some offseason fun to go around.
The Lakers had a bit of a talent show during day four of training camp. The four rookies on the team (second overall pick Brandon Ingram, second rounder Ivica Zubac, and undrafted rooks Zach Auguste and Julian Jacobs) took part in a “singing” competition.
I put “singing” in quotes because, well, they should probably #StickToSports.
Here’s a full video of the event via Robin Brown’s Periscope (h/t Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll):
In what is an American tradition marked by multiple talent shows on cable television, I will be judging each rookie’s singing ability and presentation.
- Julian Jacobs: Jacobs has a very tough road to get a roster spot on the regular season roster. He is all but certainly just an extra body for training camp. So clearly, this competition was very important for him. Unfortunately, he did not deliver. In what was an underwhelming delivery of Katy Perry’s “Roar,” Jacobs literally never changed the pitch of his voice. That’s not how singing works. More like Katy Perry’s “Bore” if you ask me.
- Ivica Zubac: Everybody’s new, favorite Laker (and human being), Zubac came out with a bold choice of music. Singing Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” is my go-to in the car when I’m alone and want to get weird looks from other drivers. Zublocca, however, decided to sing it in front of a gym full of people. The music choice alone gives him an edge over Jacobs, but the singing voice leaves a lot to be desired (unlike the big man’s basketball talent). We’ll just blame it on the braces.
- Zach Auguste: Now we get to the star of the party. Auguste came out with Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” and did not disappoint. Auguste’s singing was by far better than any of the other Lakers and he added some showmanship, egging the crowd on to support him. The song choice was bold, but fortunately, Carmelo Anthony is not on the Lakers.
- Brandon Ingram: The second overall pick, Ingram was the favorite going into the competition. The small forward came out in a poodle onesie (I don’t know why; I just judge what I see) to sing Rihanna’s “Diamonds.” Ingram blurted out the song with all the confidence in the world but the singing was not great. His voice cracked multiple times which I guess makes sense since he’s probably just now going through puberty.
Verdict: Much like the fans in the gym, I agree with Zach Auguste winning this competition. The showmanship added to what was a surprisingly great performance of a great karaoke song. We’ll see if Auguste can take the momentum from this huge victory to get the last spot on the roster.
