 Bynum with theLos Angeles Lakers in 2012 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1987-10-27)October 27, 1987 (age 38) |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)[a] |
| Listed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Joseph (Metuchen, New Jersey) |
| NBA draft | 2005: 1st round, 10th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Playing career | 2005–2014 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 17, 21 |
| Career history | |
| 2005–2012 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2013–2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2014 | Indiana Pacers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,822 (11.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,221 (7.7 rpg) |
| Blocks | 657 (1.6 bpg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Andrew Bynum (born October 27, 1987) is an American former professionalbasketball player. He played the majority of his career with theLos Angeles Lakers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). After they selected him in the first round of the2005 NBA draft with the 10th overall pick, the 7-foot (2.1 m)center won twoNBA championships with the team in 2009 and 2010. He was named anAll-Star and selected to theAll-NBA Team in 2012.
Bynum was anAll-American player inhigh school before he decided to forgo college and enter the NBA. He made his NBA debut with the Lakers six days after his 18th birthday, and remains theyoungest player ever to play in an NBA game. After seven seasons with the Lakers, he was traded to thePhiladelphia 76ers in 2012 as part of a four-team deal that sent All-Star centerDwight Howard to Los Angeles. Bynum missed the entire 2012–13 season because of knee problems. He signed as afree agent with theCleveland Cavaliers, where he briefly played before being traded to theChicago Bulls, who subsequently released him. He then signed with theIndiana Pacers for the remainder of the 2013–14 season.
Bynum was born inPlainsboro Township, New Jersey.[2] His parents, Ernest Bynum and Janet McCoy, divorced when he was a one year old.[3] He spent summers visiting his father inNorth Carolina. Bynum has one older brother, Corey.[4][5]
Bynum attendedSt. Joseph High School, inMetuchen, New Jersey during his junior and senior year. For most of his freshman year, he attendedWest Windsor-Plainsboro High School North located in Plainsboro, New Jersey. For the remainder of his freshman year and his sophomore year he attendedSolebury School inSolebury, Pennsylvania.[6] In hisjunior year of high school Bynum averaged 16.0points, 13.0rebounds, and 6.0blocks. As a senior, he averaged 22.4points, 16.8rebounds and 5.3blocks per game.[7] During his junior and senior year atSt. Joseph High School, Bynum finished his high school career averaging 19.2points, 14.9rebounds, and 5.6blocks in 32 appearances.[8] He played in the 2005McDonald's All-American game where he tallied 9points and 5rebounds.[9] He originally planned to attend theUniversity of Connecticut on a basketball scholarship; however, the 17-year-old made the decision to godirectly into the NBA and made himself eligible for the2005 NBA draft,[10] where he was selected by theLos Angeles Lakers.
In the 2005 NBA draft, Bynum was selected 10th overall by theLos Angeles Lakers. At age 17 years, 244 days, Bynum was 12 days younger thanJermaine O'Neal, the previous youngest player drafted by an NBA team.[11] After selecting him in the draft, the Lakers hiredHall-of-FamerKareem Abdul-Jabbar to work with Bynum.[12] Bynum played in a preseason game at 17 years old making him the first player to play in the NBA at 17 years of age. On November 2, 2005, during the Lakers' season opener against theDenver Nuggets, Bynum played six minutes and became the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game at age 18 years, 6 days.[13][14] During the game, he missed his two field goal attempts but had two rebounds and two blocks.[15] Inhis second season, Bynum was still the youngest player in the league,[16] due to his draft year being the last that a player could be drafted straight out of high school.
In a game against theMiami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bynum matched up against former Laker centerShaquille O'Neal for the first time. At one point, O'Neal dunked over Bynum on a putback attempt. On the next play, Bynum spun past O'Neal and dunked the ball. He then ran down the court and shoved O'Neal with his elbow, who retaliated by elbowing Bynum's upper chest. TeammateKobe Bryant quickly stepped in between the two. Both Bynum and O'Neal receivedtechnical fouls for the incident.[17]
With Lakers centersChris Mihm andKwame Brown injured at the start of2006–07, Bynum was the starting center for the first 15 games of the season.[18] In his first career start, he scored 18 points and had nine rebounds against thePhoenix Suns on October 31, 2006.[19] His first careerdouble-double on November 7 included a season-high 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks against theMinnesota Timberwolves. On January 26, 2007, he had a career-high seven blocks and a season-high 16 rebounds against theCharlotte Bobcats.[20][21] He played in all 82 games during the season and started 53, finishing with averages of 7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in just over 21 minutes per game.[22] During the season, theNew Jersey Nets were interested in acquiring Bynum forJason Kidd.[23]
After the season, CoachPete Newell was impressed with Bynum's development, and stated that teammate Kobe Bryant should back off on his negative treatment of Bynum on the court.[24] Bryant was also shown on an infamous amateur video saying that center Bynum should have been traded for Kidd.[25][26]TheIndiana Pacers also made a trade offer for Bynum.[27] The Lakers would exercise a fourth-year contract option on Bynum.[28]
Bynum helped the Lakers start to a 26–11 record, which was at the time the best record in the Pacific Division. Bynum played 35 games and started in 25 games during the season. OnChristmas Day against thePhoenix Suns, he made 11-of-13 shots for 28 points to complement 12 boards, 4assists and 2 blocks.
On January 13, 2008, he suffered an injury during a game against theMemphis Grizzlies. Bynum partially dislocated his left kneecap when he landed awkwardly on teammateLamar Odom's left foot while attempting to grab a rebound.[29] After Bynum's injury, the Lakers acquiredPau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies.
In March, there were reports that he could return before the end of the2007–08 season or the first round of the playoffs;[30][31] however, Lakers coachPhil Jackson said that he did not foresee Bynum making serious contributions any time soon in April.[32] In May, rumors about his return were put to rest when Bynum underwentarthroscopic surgery on his kneecap.[33] He missed 46 games due to the injury,[34] and finished the season with averages of 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks and a .636 field goal percentage. Without Bynum, the Lakers made it to the2008 NBA Finals, but lost to theBoston Celtics in six games.
In September 2008, Bynum said that he was 100% healthy and was ready to participate in training camp, which was scheduled to begin at the end of the month, after working with his trainer.[35] On October 30, 2008, he agreed to sign a 4-year, $58 million contract with the Lakers.[36]
Bynum set a new career high in scoring with 42 points to go along with 15 rebounds (8 offensive) and 3 blocked shots on January 21, 2009, against theLos Angeles Clippers.[37] On the next night, January 22, versus theWashington Wizards he scored 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds.[38]On January 27, 2009, in a double overtime loss against theCharlotte Bobcats, Bynum committed a flagrant foul, fracturing the rib and subsequently collapsing the lung ofGerald Wallace of the Bobcats.[39]While playing against theMemphis Grizzlies on January 31, 2009,Kobe Bryant had an off balanced shot, fell and collided with Bynum's right knee, resulting in a right knee sprain. On February 2, 2009, it was revealed that Bynum had suffered a torn MCL in his right knee and would be out 8–12 weeks. This was the second straight year that Bynum had suffered a knee injury against the Grizzlies. He had averaged 26points and 14rebounds in his previous five games, posting five straightdouble-doubles.[40]
Bynum missed the next 32 games.[34] On April 9, 2009, he returned from injury in a home game against theDenver Nuggets. Bynum went 0–2 in the first half, but finished with 7–11 by the end of the game. With the 21 minutes that Bynum played, he scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.[41] Still recovering from his knee injury, he played in the playoffs wearing an awkward knee brace.[42][43] He was not the same player,[34][44] averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds while often in foul trouble.[42][45] The Lakers advanced to the2009 NBA Finals against theOrlando Magic. Although Bynum averaged just 19 minutes against the Magic and their centerDwight Howard, the Lakers won the championship.[43][45]
In the2010 NBA playoffs, Bynum injured his knee in game 6 against theOklahoma City Thunder in the first round.[46] It was the third consecutive season his knee injuries impacted the Lakers postseason.[44] However, he kept on playing, and the Lakers won their second championship in a row.[47] Postponing surgery until after the playoffs, Bynum appeared in all 23 of the Lakers' playoff games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. TeammatePau Gasol called Bynum's "tenacity remarkable. He gave his best. He sacrificed himself in order to help the team and have a better chance to win the championship."[48]
Before having surgery on his knee, Bynum attended the2010 World Cup in South Africa and vacationed in Europe.[49] "It's not the most serious (injury)", Bynum said of his torn meniscus. "I'm going to get it taken care of, and then everything is supposed to be cool."[48] Bynum underwent surgery on July 28.[49]
A longer than expected recovery period was needed for Bynum's surgery that caused him to miss the beginning of the2010–11 NBA season. Bynum gave the Lakers advance notice hours, not weeks, before the opening of training camp. He acknowledged that his doctor told him in advance that he might need more repair to the knee based on findings once the surgery began. Bynum said he would make the same decision again to delay the surgery until after his vacation, even with the knowledge that it would cost him a portion of the upcoming regular season.[50] Kevin Ding of theOrange County Register and Michael Rosenberg ofSports Illustrated criticized Bynum for his summer activities and not expecting complications based on his history with injuries and recovery time.[50][51]
Bynum came off the bench in his first game of the season on December 14 in a 103–89 win over the Wizards. He finished with 17 minutes, 1-of-5 from the field, seven points, four rebounds and two blocks. "I feel light-years better than back [in game 7 of 2010 NBA Finals]", he said.[52] In his first 24 games played during the season, Bynum averaged 24.6 minutes per game and 27.4 minutes in 17 games as a starter. Jackson was limiting Bynum's minutes in an attempt to minimize his risk of injury.[53] At the All-Star break, Jackson discussed with Bynum that his primary role should be to defend and rebound—not score. It was a role Bynum had previously resisted.[54]
On March 8, Bynum had his third straight game with at least 16 rebounds and had 50 rebounds and 12 blocks in that span.[55][56] As the Lakers went 8–0 after the All-Star break, Bynum had 10 or more rebounds five times and blocked three or more shots four times while the Lakers held opponents to just 87 points per game. The Lakers revised their defense to have big men no longer be responsible for the perimeter, defending guards coming off screens, and instead have Lakers' defenders funnel the players inside to Bynum.[57]
On March 14, Bynum tied his career high in rebounds with 18 against Howard and the Magic.[58]
On March 20, Bynum was suspended for two games by the NBA for a flagrant foul onMichael Beasley of theMinnesota Timberwolves.
On April 5, in a loss to theUtah Jazz, he grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds.[59]
On April 12 against theSan Antonio Spurs, Bynum hyper-extended his right knee[60] Amagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam revealed he had a bruised knee, and he missed the last game of the regular season.[61] Bynum ended the season averaging 11 points, 12 rebounds and 2.4 blocks after the All-Star break.[54] He returned to the lineup for the start of the playoffs.[62] After the Lakers defeated theNew Orleans Hornets in the first round, 4–2, Hornets head coachMonty Williams said, "Kobe's Kobe, but I thought Bynum decided the series. He was that good."[63]
In the Lakers' second-round playoff series against theDallas Mavericks, Bynum was ejected in the final game of the Mavericks' four-game sweep for aflagrant foul onJ. J. Barea moments after teammateLamar Odom was ejected for foulingDirk Nowitzki. Bynum's actions were condemned by the sports news media, and he was suspended four games for the next season and fined $25,000.[64][65]
Jackson retired from coaching after2010–11, and he was then replaced byMike Brown. During Brown's interview for the position, Lakers executiveJim Buss said Bynum needed to receive the ball inside, and Brown planned for Bynum to get the ball "more than what he did in the past." The new coach believed Bynum could become anAll-Star, and perennial All-Star centerYao Ming had retired andTim Duncan's skills were declining.[66] In his first game of the season after serving his suspension, Bynum scored 29 points on 13 for 18 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 92–89 victory over theDenver Nuggets.[67]
On January 3 against theHouston Rockets, Bynum had 21 points and 22 rebounds in the first 20–20 game of his career.[68] He was selected as a starter to his firstAll-Star Game.[69] Bynum was awarded Western Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time of his young career for games played Monday, March 12, through Sunday, March 18. He led the Lakers to a 3–1 week, leading the West in rebounding (14.8 rpg) and placed second in scoring (27.5) while shooting .665 from the field (fourth in the Conference).[70] On March 28 against theGolden State Warriors, Bynum was benched by coach Mike Brown for the remainder of the third quarter after attempting an ill-advisedthree-point field goal with 10:05 left and the Lakers leading 56–50. Bynum did not join his teammates in huddles during multiple timeouts in the fourth quarter, instead sitting by himself toward the end of the bench.[71][72][73] He was fined by the team around $7,500 for his actions.[74][75] About a week later, he was again not involved in timeouts against an undermannedNew Orleans Hornets team, explaining afterwards that he was resting and "getting my Zen on."[74]
On April 11, Bynum grabbed a career- and an NBA season-high 30 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs to become the fifth Lakers player ever to register at least 30 rebounds in a single game.[76][77] Bynum finished the regular season with career highs in minutes per game (tied NBA 24th overall), rebounds per game (NBA 3rd overall), and points per game (NBA 20th overall). He also finished with the third-highest field-goal percentage in the league and 6th overall in blocks per game. Bynum ended the season tied with Oklahoma City All-Star guardRussell Westbrook at 10th overall in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) with a PER of 23.00.[78] Bynum only missed one game the entire season due to injury (ankle).[79][80] He became widely mentioned along with Howard as being the top center playing in the NBA.[81][82][83]
In a 103–88 win against the Nuggets in the opening game of the playoffs, Bynum had atriple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots. The blocked shots brokeKareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise record of nine, and tied the NBA playoff record set byMark Eaton andHakeem Olajuwon.[84] After the Lakers led the series 3–1, Bynum said, "Close-out games are actually kind of easy."[85] The Lakers eventually won the series 4–3 with Bynum contributing a career playoff-high 18 rebounds in game 7.[86]
On June 4, 2012, the Lakers exercised their $16.1 million team option on Bynum's contract for the2012–13 season.[74][87] On August 10, he was traded to thePhiladelphia 76ers in a four-team deal that also sentDwight Howard from the Magic to the Lakers andAndre Iguodala from the 76ers to theDenver Nuggets.[88] The Magic decided against receiving Bynum due to concerns over his knees and his upcomingfree agent status.[89][90]
About a week before training camp, Bynum underwentOrthokine treatments on both of his knees to stimulate healing for his arthritis. As a precaution at the start of camp, the 76ers decided to hold Bynum out from basketball activities for three weeks after he experienced discomfort in his knees. He was also diagnosed with a bone bruise to his right knee that was unrelated to the treatments he received.[91][92] He did not practice or play with the team prior to the season, and suffered another setback after injuring his left knee whilebowling.[93] In November, Sixers general managerTony DiLeo said Bynum's knees had worsened since the trade, and Bynum was declared out indefinitely.[94] Since training camp, Bynum had been firm that he would make his debut for Philadelphia, and had targeted theAll-Star break for his return.[95] After still not playing through the end of February, it was reported that Bynum's knees had begun to degenerate.[96][97]
On March 1, with swelling in his right knee, he conceded he might not play by the end of the season, although he said his left knee was fine.[95] On March 19, Bynum had season-ending arthroscopic surgery on both knees, ending his 76ers tenure without appearing in a game for the franchise.[98]
On July 19, 2013, Bynum signed with theCleveland Cavaliers.[99] Reportedly, the incentive-laden contract could pay him up to $24.79 million over two years.[100] On October 30, 2013, he made his debut for the Cavaliers recording 3 points and 3 rebounds in 8 minutes of play.[101] On November 30, Bynum set season highs of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a 97–93 victory over theChicago Bulls.[102] However, he also struggled at times, shooting 0–11 from the field with no points in 22 minutes in a loss toDetroit. On December 28, Bynum was suspended indefinitely by the Cavaliers for conduct detrimental to the team;[103] he had been thrown out of practice after shooting the ball every time he received it, regardless of how far he was from the basket.[104]
On January 7, 2014, the Cavaliers traded Bynum, a future first-round draft pick, two future second-round picks, and the option to swap first-round picks in2015 to theChicago Bulls forLuol Deng.[105] The same day, he was waived by the Bulls in asalary cap move that was projected to save Chicago more than $20 million and provide relief from paying the NBA'sluxury tax.[106] During his time with the Cavaliers, Bynum averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 20 minutes of play.[107]
On February 1, 2014, Bynum signed with theIndiana Pacers for the remainder of the season. He was expected to back up All-Star centerRoy Hibbert along withIan Mahinmi.[108][109] CoachFrank Vogel planned to give Bynum one to two weeks of practice before evaluating if he was ready to play.[110]
On March 11, 2014, Bynum made his Pacers debut with 8 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes in a 94–83 win over the Boston Celtics.[111] He appeared in only two games before Indiana declared him out indefinitely with swelling and soreness in his right knee;[112] he missed the remainder of the regular season.[113] On May 7, before game 2 of the second round of the2014 NBA playoffs against Washington, the Pacers announced that Bynum would miss the remainder of the season and would no longer be involved in team activities.[114][115] As late as 2018, Bynum was still working on an attempted NBA comeback.[116]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | L.A. Lakers | 46 | 0 | 7.3 | .402 | .000 | .296 | 1.7 | .2 | .1 | .5 | 1.6 |
| 2006–07 | L.A. Lakers | 82* | 53 | 21.9 | .558 | .000 | .668 | 5.9 | 1.1 | .1 | 1.6 | 7.8 |
| 2007–08 | L.A. Lakers | 35 | 25 | 28.8 | .636 | .000 | .695 | 10.2 | 1.7 | .3 | 2.1 | 13.1 |
| 2008–09† | L.A. Lakers | 50 | 50 | 28.9 | .560 | .000 | .707 | 8.0 | 1.4 | .4 | 1.8 | 14.3 |
| 2009–10† | L.A. Lakers | 65 | 65 | 30.4 | .570 | .000 | .739 | 8.3 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.4 | 15.0 |
| 2010–11 | L.A. Lakers | 54 | 47 | 27.8 | .574 | .000 | .660 | 9.4 | 1.4 | .4 | 2.0 | 11.3 |
| 2011–12 | L.A. Lakers | 60 | 60 | 35.2 | .558 | .200 | .692 | 11.8 | 1.4 | .5 | 1.9 | 18.7 |
| 2013–14 | Cleveland | 24 | 19 | 20.0 | .419 | .000 | .762 | 5.3 | 1.1 | .3 | 1.2 | 8.4 |
| 2013–14 | Indiana | 2 | 0 | 18.0 | .409 | .000 | .714 | 9.5 | 1.0 | .0 | 2.0 | 11.5 |
| Career | 418 | 319 | 25.6 | .556 | .111 | .690 | 7.7 | 1.2 | .3 | 1.6 | 11.5 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 1 | 5.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | L.A. Lakers | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| 2007 | L.A. Lakers | 5 | 0 | 11.0 | .533 | .000 | .400 | 4.6 | .0 | .0 | .4 | 4.0 |
| 2009† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 18 | 17.4 | .457 | .000 | .651 | 3.7 | .4 | .3 | .9 | 6.3 |
| 2010† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 23 | 24.4 | .537 | .000 | .679 | 6.9 | .5 | .3 | 1.6 | 8.6 |
| 2011 | L.A. Lakers | 10 | 10 | 32.0 | .543 | .000 | .833 | 9.6 | .8 | .5 | 1.4 | 14.4 |
| 2012 | L.A. Lakers | 12 | 12 | 37.6 | .477 | .000 | .783 | 11.1 | 1.5 | .4 | 3.1 | 16.7 |
| Career | 74 | 63 | 24.2 | .502 | .000 | .720 | 6.7 | .6 | .3 | 1.5 | 9.5 | |
Kidd confirmed that his agent, Jeff Schwartz, has talked to Nets management about moving him by the Feb. 21 trade deadline, but he categorized the conversation as a continuation of something that started last All-Star break, when the Nets nearly dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package of players that included Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown. The sticking point was that Nets president Rod Thorn wanted Andrew Bynum and the Lakers refused.
Are you kidding me? Andrew Bynum? F—ing ship his ass out.
There was the infamous video by the self-described Kobe Video Guys, when Bryant profanely vented to a couple of men at a Newport Beach shopping mall, who happened to be recording it, about the Lakers holding on to Andrew Bynum when they could have dealt him for Jason Kidd.
An MRI exam Monday pushed his layoff into the range of eight to 12 weeks, based on the torn medial collateral ligament it revealed.
Although he felt strong in some games and pained in others, he gritted his way through all 23, averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds while earning his teammates' respect.
He could've repaired the knee immediately after last season, but he postponed it to travel – to see the soccer World Cup in South Africa and then vacation in Europe, as he had the previous summer.
No, it was not a real professional offseason by Bynum, who acknowledges that his doctor told him in advance that he would do more repair to the knee if he found sufficient reason once surgery began.
But come on: Bynum should always assume his health is worse than he thinks.
In Tuesday's 103–89 win over the Washington Wizards, Bynum had an eerily similar line – 17 minutes, 1-of-5 from the field, seven points, four rebounds and two blocks.
Twenty-eight minutes is probably ideal for him. That's going to be maybe a help to help anything that could happen accidentally but you can't tell when an accident can happen out there, when someone can get hurt. But, limiting the time can take the risk out of it a little bit.
The player efficiency rating (PER) is a rating of a player's per-minute productivity.
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Quotations from Wikiquote · Basketball Reference