The Los Angeles Lakers just came off winning the 2010 NBA Finals, despite knee troubles from Andrew Bynum. It was all but certain that he would have surgery to repair his knee once the Finals ended and have ample time to recover for next season.
Instead, Bynum delayed his much-needed knee surgery so that he can have fun in South Africa at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Bynum did not want to be on crunches because it would have ruined the experience at the World Cup and his summer Europe trip.
Let’s just say neither fans nor the great Phil Jackson was excited by the decision.
6: Bynum Gets Ejected Twice, Costs Lakers a Win
Andrew Bynum had a lot of say to the referees in the 2011-12 NBA season and that forced him to get ejected out of two games. Both of the ejections occurred when the Lakers played their Houston Rockets and both of them led to Lakers losses.
The first one resulted after Bynum had a few words for the referees at the free-throw line in Houston and the other one occurred at an inopportune time as the Lakers were fighting the Rockets in another close game.
Bynum talked a little bit too much trash to the Rockets bench and the officials had heard enough and sent him back to the locker-room.
5: Andrew Bynum Calls Close-Out Game Easy
The Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to advance to the second round yesterday and all they had to do was beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 at Staples Center. The Lakers played extremely well in their first two games at home and everyone expected them to win the game.
However, no player ever underestimates an opponent publicly, but Bynum decided to run his mouth before tip. Bynum told reporters that close-out games tend to be easy and implied that the Lakers should handle the Nuggets in five games.
Ironically, the Lakers lost the game 102-99, and for the most part, Nuggets center JaVale McGee dominated Bynum on both ends of the court.
Next Page: Numbers Four and Three