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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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NBA punishes Cavaliers for Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley decisions
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been fined $100,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy. The Cavs committed the violation when they rested both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley for the team’s game at the Miami Heat on Nov. 12. The Cavs won the contest 130-116 but sat their top two scorers for rest reasons. The Cavs had consecutive road games in Miami on Nov. 10 and Nov. 12, but then headed home to host the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 13. Both Mobley and Mitchell played in the Nov. 13 game, though Mobley only played 7 minutes in the game. The NBA introduced the Player Participation Policy for the 2023-24 season to curb the practice of healthy star players sitting out games for strictly rest reasons. Teams get fined $100,000 for a first violation, $250,000 for a second and then $1 million for each occurrence thereafter. Both Mitchell and Mobley qualify as “star” players under the league’s definition. The Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams that have also been fined for similar violations. Mitchell is averaging 30.9 points per game this season, and Mobley is averaging 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
Steve Spurrier has two endorsements for next Florida HC
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit in the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimatly come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
Steelers work out two QBs amid Aaron Rodgers injury
With Aaron Rodgers dealing with a left wrist injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out veteran quarterbacks Jason Bean and Tanner Mordecai on Tuesday, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The Steelers currently have three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster and zero on their practice squad. Backup Mason Rudolph, and third-stringer Will Howard will both move up a spot on the depth chart for at least a week, leaving the Steelers without a third option should either of them get injured. Bean, 26, signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Kansas in 2024. He did not make the 53-man roster, but stuck around on the practice squad for the entire season. He was waived during final roster cuts this year and did not draw practice squad interest from the Colts or any other team. Mordecai is also a 26-year-old who entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2024. Mordecai finished his college career at Wisconsin and signed with the 49ers last spring. He spent the season on San Francisco’s practice squad and was repeatedly cut and re-signed during training camp as the team balanced their other roster needs. He was waived due to injury a final time during roster cuts. The Steelers did not sign Bean or Mordecai, though that could be coming in the next few days as they continue to assess Rodgers’ wrist. They could also work out other available quarterbacks later this week.
One Scenario Raiders Should Already Be Preparing For
The Las Vegas Raiders are 2 - 8 and currently hold the 6th overall pick in next season's draft. They selected Ashton Jeanty with the same draft pick last season, but I think an offensive weapon is the least of their worries. The Raiders' problems cannot be solved by an individual player, but they can bolster parts of their team that need immediate help. Continuing to lose will put the Raiders on pace for a better pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and after their latest loss to the Dallas Cowboys, I don't know when their next win will come. 2026 NFL Mock Draft Mike Renner is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he created his 4th iteration of a mock draft to reflect the results of Week 11. For the Raiders, they're predicted to help out their misaligned defense by taking linebacker Arvell Reese in the first round. "Reese is the perfect modern hybrid linebacker to give a defensive coordinator flexibility. He looks just as comfortable rushing the passer as he does dropping deep into coverage. And he's got the body type to easily do both", said Renner. This isn't the first time Reese has been linked to the Raiders, as he's a popular choice for the Raiders among other mock drafts. It makes complete sense, they desperately need another star to opposite Maxx Crosby, and they can drop him in coverage or have him play along their defensive line. Other than Jamal Adams' career resurgence in Las Vegas, the Raiders' linebacker play has been abysmal all season long. Reese improves their defense in almost every way, with him being able to hold his own in pass rush as well as defending the run. The Raiders' defense only has 19 sacks so far, which is near the bottom of the league. The one area they do best in is run-stopping, and like I mentioned earlier, he can make plays on the ball to complement the Raiders' strength. Taking Reese in the first round would show good faith between Pete Carroll and Raider Nation, assuming he's still employed, as it shows that he took this season's lessons to heart and understands that this team needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. They already have enough firepower on offense with Jeanty and Brock Bowers; it's time they prioritize the other side of the ball with an explosive linebacker who will make game-changing plays.
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