Andrew Bynum says he appreciated playing with a legend like Kobe Bryant at the beginning of his career, but he says it presents a downside.
Bynum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers before the season and has yet to play in a game with his new team because of knee problems. With the Lakers in town to play the Sixers on Sunday, Bynum spoke about his former team.
According to Kevin Ding of the OC Register, Bynum said playing with Kobe early in his career helped him “tremendously,” but that changed later on.
“Later, I thought I was able to get the ball more and do more things with the ball,” he said, “so I could definitely see how at the end it could stunt growth.”
Bynum said the understanding that Kobe dominates the ball will be an adjustment for Dwight Howard.
“Dwight’s a great player, but he’s going to have to get accustomed to playing with Kobe (Bryant) and not touching the ball every single play,” said Bynum.
Bynum analyzed the Lakers’ offense and said he believes they’re going too fast-paced and not playing in the post enough. That’s exactly what Pau Gasol, who has been out with knee tendinitis, complained about.
Maybe the best part of Bynum’s interview with the media was when he called himself the best center in the league, adding that Howard, for whom he was traded, is the second-best. Most people will disagree with him, but we admire his confidence. As for Kobe dominating the ball, well, that’s one of the reasons why Dwight was reluctant to join the team in the first place. You also know Kobe wouldn’t disagree — he once said Bynum was third in the Lakers’ pecking order, while he was No. 1.
