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Overview
Andrew Lee Bynum is a center with the Los Angeles Lakers, who drafted him directly out of high school in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play in a regular-season NBA game in 2005. Bynum has played his entire four-season NBA career with the Lakers, though he's missed extensive time each of the last two seasons with knee injuries.
Prep Career
Bynum began his high school career at Solebury School in New Hope, PA. As a junior, he transferred to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ, where he began to garner national attention. He averaged 16.0 PPG, 13.0 RPG and 6.0 blocks per game as a junior, and made a big splash at the 2004 Nike Camp.
As a senior, Bynum averaged 22.4 points, 16.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game, after missing the first 10 games of the season due to minor ligament damage in his knee. Despite the shortened season, Bynum still earned McDonald's All-America honors in 2005. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2005 and he signed a letter of intent during the early signing period to play college basketball at Connecticut. Bynum decided to forgo college and enter the 2005 NBA Draft when it became clear he would be a lottery pick.
As a senior, Bynum averaged 22.4 points, 16.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game, after missing the first 10 games of the season due to minor ligament damage in his knee. Despite the shortened season, Bynum still earned McDonald's All-America honors in 2005. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2005 and he signed a letter of intent during the early signing period to play college basketball at Connecticut. Bynum decided to forgo college and enter the 2005 NBA Draft when it became clear he would be a lottery pick.
Professional Career
Andrew Bynum was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2005 NBA Draft, becoming the youngest player drafted in NBA history. He turned 18 just prior to the start of his rookie season, and became the youngest player in NBA history (18 years, six days) when he made his debut on Nov. 2, 2005 against the Denver Nuggets. Bynum played 45 games as a rookie, averaging 7.3 minutes per game.
The most notable moment of his rookie season came against the Miami Heat and former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, who started the sequence by dunking over Bynum on a rebound. On the ensuing Lakers possession, Bynum posted up O'Neal, got the ball and spun past him for a quick dunk, then shoved O'Neal while going back down the court. O'Neal retaliated with an elbow and both players received technical fouls.
Bynum made a big step forward in his second season, averaging 7.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.6 blocks per game while starting 53 times in 82 games. He recorded his first double-double on Nov. 7, 2006 against the Timberwolves, recording a then-career-high 20 points and 14 rebounds against the Timberwolves. He finished the season with 10 double-doubles.
In the summer of 2007, video surfaced of Kobe Bryant being highly critical of Bynum, as part of Bryant's request to be traded from the Lakers. However, both players returned to the Lakers, and Bynum continued his growth as a player. He averaged 13.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 2.1 blocks per game, establishing a new career-high with 28 points against the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day. However, his season was cut short when he suffered a subluxated left patella on Jan. 13, 2008 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Originally it was believed Bynum might return at some point in the '07-08 season, but he sat out the remainder of the season, including the 2008 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Bynum returned healthy in 2008-09 and reclaimed his starting center position, with Pau Gasol moving to power forward. Bynum started the first 46 games of the season for Los Angeles, and was averaging 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He established a new career-high with 42 points on 17-of-24 shooting in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 21, 2009. However, 10 days later, Bynum was again playing against the Memphis Grizzlies, when Kobe Bryant rolled into his right knee, causing a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL). Before the injury, Bynum had been playing the best basketball of his career, having posted five consecutive double-doubles.
Bynum returned on April 9, 2009, playing four games late in the regular season to prepare for the postseason. Bynum started the 2009 Playoffs as a starter for the Lakers, but came off the bench five times in a six-game span between the first and second rounds. He eventually regained his starting spot, though he averaged under seven points per game during the postseason. He started all five games for the Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals, helping them win their 15th NBA title.
The most notable moment of his rookie season came against the Miami Heat and former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, who started the sequence by dunking over Bynum on a rebound. On the ensuing Lakers possession, Bynum posted up O'Neal, got the ball and spun past him for a quick dunk, then shoved O'Neal while going back down the court. O'Neal retaliated with an elbow and both players received technical fouls.
Bynum made a big step forward in his second season, averaging 7.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.6 blocks per game while starting 53 times in 82 games. He recorded his first double-double on Nov. 7, 2006 against the Timberwolves, recording a then-career-high 20 points and 14 rebounds against the Timberwolves. He finished the season with 10 double-doubles.
In the summer of 2007, video surfaced of Kobe Bryant being highly critical of Bynum, as part of Bryant's request to be traded from the Lakers. However, both players returned to the Lakers, and Bynum continued his growth as a player. He averaged 13.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 2.1 blocks per game, establishing a new career-high with 28 points against the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day. However, his season was cut short when he suffered a subluxated left patella on Jan. 13, 2008 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Originally it was believed Bynum might return at some point in the '07-08 season, but he sat out the remainder of the season, including the 2008 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Bynum returned healthy in 2008-09 and reclaimed his starting center position, with Pau Gasol moving to power forward. Bynum started the first 46 games of the season for Los Angeles, and was averaging 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He established a new career-high with 42 points on 17-of-24 shooting in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 21, 2009. However, 10 days later, Bynum was again playing against the Memphis Grizzlies, when Kobe Bryant rolled into his right knee, causing a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL). Before the injury, Bynum had been playing the best basketball of his career, having posted five consecutive double-doubles.
Bynum returned on April 9, 2009, playing four games late in the regular season to prepare for the postseason. Bynum started the 2009 Playoffs as a starter for the Lakers, but came off the bench five times in a six-game span between the first and second rounds. He eventually regained his starting spot, though he averaged under seven points per game during the postseason. He started all five games for the Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals, helping them win their 15th NBA title.