Andrew Bynum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Andrew Bynum

Bynum with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012
Personal information
Born	(1987-10-27) October 27, 1987 (age 37) Plainsboro Township, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
High school	St. Joseph (Metuchen, New Jersey)
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	285 lb (129 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career	2005–2014
Career history
2005–2012	Los Angeles Lakers
2013–2014	Cleveland Cavaliers
2014	Indiana Pacers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA champion (2009, 2010) NBA All-Star (2012) All-NBA Second Team (2012) McDonald's All-American (2005) Third-team Parade All-American (2005)
Career NBA statistics
Points	4,822 (11.5 ppg)
Rebounds	3,221 (7.7 rpg)
Blocks	657 (1.6 bpg)

Andrew Bynum (born October 27, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player. He played most of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Lakers picked him 10th overall in the 2005 NBA draft.

Standing 7 feet tall, Bynum was a center who helped the Lakers win two NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. He was chosen as an All-Star and made the All-NBA Team in 2012. Bynum was an All-American player in high school. He decided to go straight to the NBA instead of college. He made his NBA debut just six days after his 18th birthday. This made him the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game.

After seven seasons with the Lakers, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012. This trade was part of a big four-team deal. Bynum missed the entire 2012–13 season because of knee problems. He later played briefly for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers.

Early Life and High School

Andrew Bynum was born in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey. His parents divorced when he was one year old. He often visited his father in North Carolina during the summers. Andrew also has an older brother named Corey.

High School Basketball Journey

Bynum went to St. Joseph High School for his junior and senior years. Before that, he attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and Solebury School. In his junior year, he averaged 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game. As a senior, he averaged 22.4 points, 16.8 rebounds, and 5.3 blocks.

Overall, in his last two high school years, Bynum averaged 19.2 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 5.6 blocks. He also played in the 2005 McDonald's All-American game. He had planned to go to the University of Connecticut for college basketball. However, at 17, he decided to enter the 2005 NBA draft directly. The Los Angeles Lakers then picked him.

Professional Career Highlights

Los Angeles Lakers (2005–2012)

Starting in the NBA

Bynum playing for the Lakers in 2007.

In the 2005 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers chose Andrew Bynum as the 10th pick. He was 12 days younger than the previous youngest player ever drafted. The Lakers even hired Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to help Bynum improve his game.

On November 2, 2005, Bynum played his first NBA game. He was 18 years and 6 days old, making him the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game. In his second season, he was still the youngest player in the league. This was because his draft year was the last one where players could be drafted right out of high school.

Growing as a Player

In the 2006–07 season, Bynum became a starting center for the Lakers. He scored 18 points and had 9 rebounds in his first start. He played in all 82 games that season. He averaged 7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

Battling Injuries

Bynum scoring with a slam dunk.

Bynum helped the Lakers start the 2007–08 season with a strong record. On January 13, 2008, he hurt his left knee during a game. He partially dislocated his kneecap. After his injury, the Lakers got Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Bynum missed 46 games that season. The Lakers made it to the 2008 NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics.

In September 2008, Bynum said he was fully healthy. He signed a 4-year, $58 million contract with the Lakers. On January 21, 2009, he scored a career-high 42 points. He also had 15 rebounds and 3 blocks against the Los Angeles Clippers.

However, on January 31, 2009, Bynum injured his right knee. This was the second year in a row he hurt his knee against the Grizzlies. He missed 32 games. He returned for the playoffs, but still had knee issues. The Lakers reached the 2009 NBA Finals and won the championship.

Winning Championships

In the 2010 NBA playoffs, Bynum injured his knee again. This was his third straight season with a knee injury affecting the playoffs. Despite the injury, he kept playing. The Lakers went on to win their second championship in a row. Bynum played in all 23 playoff games. He averaged 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. His teammate Pau Gasol praised Bynum's toughness.

All-Star Season (2011–2012)

Bynum (left) and teammate Ron Artest (right) in a game.

After the 2010–11 season, coach Phil Jackson retired. Mike Brown became the new coach. He wanted Bynum to get the ball more often. Brown believed Bynum could become an All-Star.

On January 3, 2012, Bynum had 21 points and 22 rebounds. This was his first game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He was then chosen as a starter for his first All-Star Game. On April 11, Bynum grabbed a career-high 30 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs. He became only the fifth Lakers player to get 30 rebounds in one game.

Bynum finished the regular season with career bests in minutes, rebounds, and points per game. He was also among the league leaders in field-goal percentage and blocks. In the first game of the playoffs, Bynum had a triple-double. He got 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots. His 10 blocks broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Lakers playoff record. The Lakers won that series.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2013–2014)

Bynum during his time with the 76ers.

On August 10, 2012, Bynum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. This was part of a big four-team trade. Bynum missed the entire 2012–13 season due to knee problems. He had surgery on both knees in March 2013. He never played a game for the 76ers.

Bynum (left) playing defense against Marcin Gortat.

On July 19, 2013, Bynum signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played his first game for them on October 30, 2013. On November 30, Bynum had season highs of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks. However, on December 28, the Cavaliers suspended him. This was for behavior that was not good for the team.

On January 7, 2014, the Cavaliers traded Bynum to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls then released him to save money.

Indiana Pacers (2014)

On February 1, 2014, Bynum signed with the Indiana Pacers. He was meant to be a backup center. On March 11, 2014, Bynum played his first game for the Pacers. He had 8 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes. However, he only played two games before his right knee started swelling again. He missed the rest of that season. In May, the Pacers announced Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See Also

In Spanish: Andrew Bynum para niños

• List of NBA single-game rebounding leaders
• List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
• List of oldest and youngest NBA players