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. This tall center helped the team win two NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. He was also chosen as an All-Star player in 2012.

Bynum was a top player in high school. He decided to go straight to the NBA instead of college. He played his first NBA game with the Lakers 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 involved four teams and sent star center Dwight Howard to Los Angeles. Bynum missed the whole 2012–13 season because of knee problems. He then signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers and later the Indiana Pacers.

Early Life and Family

Andrew Bynum was born in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey. His parents, Ernest Bynum and Janet McCoy, 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 attended St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey for his junior and senior years. Before that, he went to 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, during his time at St. Joseph High School, Bynum averaged 19.2 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 5.6 blocks. He also played in the 2005 McDonald's All-American game, scoring 9 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. He had planned to go to the University of Connecticut for college basketball. However, at 17, he chose to enter the 2005 NBA draft directly. The Los Angeles Lakers then selected him.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2005–2012)

Starting as a Rookie Player

Bynum playing in 2007

In the 2005 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers picked Andrew Bynum as the 10th overall player. He was 17 years old at the time of the draft. This made him the youngest player ever drafted by an NBA team. 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 against the Denver Nuggets. He was 18 years and 6 days old, making him the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game. In that game, he played six minutes, got two rebounds, and two blocks. In his second season (2006–07), Bynum was still the youngest player in the league. This was because his draft year was the last time players could join the NBA straight from high school.

In a game against the Miami Heat in 2006, Bynum played against Shaquille O'Neal. They had a memorable moment where O'Neal dunked over Bynum, and then Bynum quickly dunked back over O'Neal. Both players received a technical foul for a small push afterward.

Becoming a Starter (2006–07 Season)

At the start of the 2006–07 season, Bynum became the starting center for the Lakers. This happened because other centers on the team were injured. In his first start, he scored 18 points and had 9 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns. He achieved his first double-double (scoring double digits in two categories) on November 7. In that game, he had 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Bynum played in all 82 games that season and started 53 of them. He averaged 7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

Dealing with Injuries (2007–08 Season)

Bynum scoring with a slam dunk

Bynum helped the Lakers start the 2007–08 season with a strong 26–11 record. On Christmas Day, he had a great game against the Phoenix Suns, scoring 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

However, on January 13, 2008, he injured his left kneecap during a game. After Bynum's injury, the Lakers brought in Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Bynum missed 46 games that season due to the injury. He finished the season averaging 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. Even without Bynum, the Lakers reached the 2008 NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics.

Winning Championships (2008–09 and 2009–10 Seasons)

In September 2008, Bynum announced he was fully healthy and ready for the new season. He signed a new 4-year contract with the Lakers. On January 21, 2009, Bynum scored a career-high 42 points against the Los Angeles Clippers. He also grabbed 15 rebounds in that game.

A few days later, Bynum committed a flagrant foul during a game against the Charlotte Bobcats, which caused an injury to Gerald Wallace. Then, on January 31, 2009, Bynum suffered another knee injury against the Memphis Grizzlies. This was his second knee injury against the Grizzlies in two years. He missed 32 games because of this.

Bynum returned for the playoffs, playing with a knee brace. He wasn't at his best, but the Lakers still made it to the 2009 NBA Finals. They won the championship against the Orlando Magic.

In the 2010 NBA playoffs, Bynum injured his knee again in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite the injury, he continued to play. The Lakers went on to win their second championship in a row. His teammate Pau Gasol praised Bynum for his toughness and sacrifice. Bynum had surgery on his knee in July after the playoffs.

Continued Success and Challenges (2010–11 and 2011–12 Seasons)

Bynum (#17) and teammate Ron Artest (#15) during a game in 2011

Bynum's recovery from knee surgery took longer than expected, causing him to miss the start of the 2010–11 NBA season. When he returned, his playing time was limited to prevent further injuries. After the All-Star break, Bynum focused more on defense and rebounding, which helped the Lakers improve their game.

On March 14, Bynum tied his career high with 18 rebounds against Dwight Howard and the Magic. He was suspended for two games in March for a flagrant foul on Michael Beasley. On April 5, he set a new career high with 23 rebounds against the Utah Jazz.

In the playoffs, Bynum played well, especially in the first round against the New Orleans Hornets. However, in the second round against the Dallas Mavericks, he was ejected from the final game for a flagrant foul on J. J. Barea. He was suspended for four games for the next season because of this.

Bynum slaps hands with teammate Kobe Bryant.

For the 2011–12 NBA season, Mike Brown became the new Lakers coach. He wanted Bynum to get the ball more often. In his first game back from suspension, Bynum scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. On January 3, he had his first "20–20" game (20 points and 20 rebounds) against the Houston Rockets.

Bynum was selected as a starter for his first All-Star Game. On April 11, Bynum grabbed a career-high 30 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs. This made him only the fifth Lakers player ever to get at least 30 rebounds in one game. He finished the season with career highs in points, rebounds, and blocks per game. He was considered one of the top centers in the NBA.

In the first game of the playoffs against the Nuggets, Bynum achieved a triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots. His 10 blocks broke a Lakers franchise record and tied an NBA playoff record. The Lakers won that series.

Moving to Philadelphia and Cleveland (2012–2014)

Bynum during his short time with the 76ers in August 2012

On August 10, 2012, Bynum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a big four-team deal. This trade also sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers.

Before training camp, Bynum had treatments for his knees. However, he experienced discomfort and was diagnosed with a bone bruise. He did not practice or play with the 76ers before the season started. He even injured his left knee while bowling. In March 2013, Bynum had surgery on both knees, meaning he never played a single game for the 76ers.

Bynum defended by Marcin Gortat of the Washington Wizards

On July 19, 2013, Bynum signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He made his debut for the Cavaliers on October 30, 2013. On November 30, Bynum had season highs of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a win against the Chicago Bulls. However, he also had some difficult games. On December 28, the Cavaliers suspended Bynum for "conduct detrimental to the team."

On January 7, 2014, the Cavaliers traded Bynum to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls then waived him (released him from his contract) on the same day. During his time with the Cavaliers, Bynum averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Brief Time with the Indiana Pacers (2014)

On February 1, 2014, Bynum signed with the Indiana Pacers for the rest of the season. He was expected to be a backup center. On March 11, 2014, Bynum played his first game for the Pacers, scoring 8 points and getting 10 rebounds.

He only played in two games before the Pacers announced he would miss the rest of the season due to knee swelling and soreness. In May, the Pacers confirmed Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would no longer be involved with the team. As of 2018, Bynum was still trying to make a comeback to the NBA.

Andrew Bynum's Career Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

More About Andrew Bynum

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

See also

In Spanish: Andrew Bynum para niños