Andrew Bynum said all the right things during his introductory press conference last week with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bynum continued to please Cleveland fans by praising them in an interview with FOX Sports Ohio’s Allie Clifton for “Access Cavaliers” after his introductory press conference.
After being told by Clifton that Cleveland fans love their sports, Bynum was asked what he knew about Cleveland fans.
“I just know that they’re really really passionate, and I haven’t had an opportunity to play for a city that’s really going to stand up and really support the team,” Bynum said. “I’m super excited. I can’t wait to see what it’s like.”
So in praising Cleveland fans, Bynum took a shot at Lakers fans by saying they don’t really support the team. Lakers fans are a passionate group, so I can’t imagine that’s going to sit well with them.
Bynum was drafted by the Lakers in 2005 and spent his entire career with the team until last year. Though he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, he never played a game for them and didn’t get to experience Philly fans.
Lakers fans may take offense to the comments, but think about it from Bynum’s perspective. This is a guy Kobe wanted to ship out in exchange for Jason Kidd several years ago. There were frequent talks about the team wanting to trade Bynum for Dwight Howard. He was constantly mentioned in trade talks. Maybe he felt like the fans didn’t appreciate him.
Then again, with the type of indifferent behavior Bynum displayed in his time with the Lakers, it’s understandable why fans may have been frustrated with him.
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