Kobe Bryant sends mixed signals regarding Andrew Bynum – NBA News
Kobe Bryant is excited about the next season for the Los Angeles Lakers, who have moved into top contention for the NBA championship after landing All Star Centre Dwight Howard in a four team trade involving the Orlando Magic,
Denver Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers however had to give up their centre from last season, Andrew Bynum, to make place for Howard. Bynum is one of the rising sensations in the NBA, a solid centre player who improved last year and showed that he can play
in the post.
The seven foot giant will now play for the Philadelphia 76ers next season, and Bryant had words of praise for his former teammate. He wrote on Facebook on Friday:
“I wish nothing but the best for Big Bynum. I hope he follows what was a great season last year with an even better one next year.”
Bryant has had a good working relationship with Bynum, and the two seemed to get along well while they were teammates in the Lakers roster. Kobe, who is known to be demanding of his teammates and has a tendency of criticizing them
openly in press conferences, seemed to give Bynum a pass on numerous occasions last season as the 24 year old centre attempted to cement his position in the Lakers line-up.
Bryant is currently in London with team USA competing in the Olympics and just led his team to a semi final victory over Argentina.
The New York Daily has reported that after the game, Bryant was questioned about the trade involving Howard and said:
“The consensus (among his Olympic teammates) was that there was no way we could get Dwight and still keep Pau. They all know what Pau does for us. I said I think we can make it happen, they said no. Well, we got Pau for virtually
nothing, so history does repeat itself.”
Bryant’s comments have caused a stir in the NBA, with eyebrows being raised about a possible subliminal attack on Bynum.
Bryant said that the Lakers retained Gasol ‘for virtually nothing’. Did he mean that landing Howard while losing only one player is nothing, or was he referring to Bynum as ‘nothing’. Only Bryant knows the answer to that question,
and we probably will never find out.
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