Bynum spoke to ESPN Los Angeles and he talked about the impact Kobe Bryant had on his career. Even though Bynum does mention the good Bryant has done for him, Bynum believes Bryant hindered his growth as a player.
“I thought it really helped me a lot obviously at first, because he draws so much attention it’s hard for guys to double team and key on you, so it helped me tremendously,” Bynum told a group of L.A. reporters before the Lakers played the Sixers on Sunday. “Later, I felt I was able to get the ball more and do more things with the ball, so I could definitely see how it could stunt growth.”
Bynum won two championships with the Lakers and Bryant, and he became an All-Star for the first time in 2011-12. Bynum no doubt became the Lakers’ second option on offense and it was clear that Bryant developed more trust in his young center. The young center polished his offensive game and the Lakers could rely on him to score if he had the ball in the paint.
Bynum has been sidelined due to injury and he was unable to appear in the Sixers’ match against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.