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Andrew Bynum's career belongs in the what-if category, as the big man had huge potential when he entered the NBA in 2005. An 18-year-old coming straight out of high school would lure the Los Angeles Lakers to take a gamble and try to develop him as the center of the future.
One of Bynum's most memorable moments with the Purple & Gold happened during his rookie season when Andrew got into it with the legendary Shaquille O'Neal. In a 2007 edition of SLAM Magazine, the 7'0'' five-man explained his view of the standoff with "The Diesel."
"I don't know what happened...the crowd and everything...it was a spur of the moment. I knew he was going to go back at me. He had even grabbed my arm so I didn't fall when he hit me," Andrew described the moment.
No fear
The iconic clip still lives on and is pretty popular as probably the most memorable moment of Bynum's career. An 18-year-old Andrew would get thrown into a game vs. the Miami Heat by Phil Jackson in order to try to contain O'Neal.
Things didn't look too promising for the youngster when Shaquille dunked a monster putback over Bynum that sent the rookie to the floor. However, instead of getting down on himself and hiding, Andrew sought revenge.
The New Jersey native would get the ball from Kobe Bryant down-low, fake out Shaq, and dunk it to the delight of the Los Angeles crowd. Bynum was hyped up, jumping down the court and running to guard O'Neal. The five-time champions decided to calm down the rookie with a swift elbow to the throat.
Everybody jumped in, including Kobe and Pat Riley, but nothing escalated, as O'Neal was just trying to warn Bynum to tone it down. However, despite getting hit, this remains maybe the best individual moment of Andrew's career, aside from his two championships in 2009 and 2010.
Simply didn't have the passion
At that moment, the Purple & Gold were sure that Bynum was going to be the future and develop into the best center in the NBA. Although Andrew managed to have some good years in the NBA, helping the Lakers win back-to-back championships and even nothing an All-Star berth in 2012, the big man simply never worked it out.
Many blamed his lack of devotion to getting better and staying in shape for his downfall. Numerous injuries destroyed AB and forced him to retire in 2014 at only 26 years old. An insert from the same article told you everything you need to know about Bynum's love for the game.
"You know what's funny? I'd never actually been to an NBA game until I played in one. I was into a lot of other things growing up. I just so happened to be an ok basketball player. I kind of got pushed into it because I was tall," Andrew explained back then.
It is a shame that Bynum never managed to capitalize on his potential, as the once-18-year-old had the complete package and surroundings to make it big. However, Andrew's back-and-forth with Shaq ended up being the pinnacle of his individual prowess.
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2024-25 Los Angeles Lakers Player Review: Jalen Hood-Schifino
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