Source of Bynum’s Emergence: Money?
Few other players (if any) have had a bigger improvement from last season to this one than the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum. After teammate Kobe Bryant famously threw him under the bus in an amateur video clip that made the rounds on the web, everyone wondered how the young’un would react.
He has exceed all expectations.
Most credited his growth to the work he’s done over the last couple of years with the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and of course the desire to prove his superstar teammate wrong. Phil Jackson, though, thinks there’s more to it than that. Specifically, the Zen Master says dolla dolla bills (y’all) are the motivating factor in Andrew’s massive improvement.
What motivated Bynum?
“My guess is his contract,” Jackson said. “Dollars are green. The idea, that ‘Hey, it’s coming up, I’ve got to get some traction here. This process is real short.’ “
With Andrew Bynum in the third of a four-year deal, Phil Jackson might be right.
Be it money, pride, Laker Girls, …, we Laker fans are thankful for whatever has lit a fire under the young monster.
64 Responses to “Source of Bynum’s Emergence: Money?”
Jan.10 at 1:09 pm
Andrew says:
first, and that’s straight up.
Jan.10 at 1:13 pm
Joey says:
Bynum is the second coming of Shaq Diesel. There WILL be problems between him and Mamba when Bynum gets that coin. $15+ mil…
Jan.10 at 1:44 pm
thesubwayconnection says:
You Laker fans might just want to hold your breath in case he disappears after signing that contract. I love Bynum and his game, but I sure hope that it doesn’t work like that.
Jan.10 at 1:46 pm
FLUD says:
Could be he’s just a damn-good baller and is improving all the time! He looks far more natural on the court than most.
Jan.10 at 1:56 pm
Jared says:
Bynum aint the next diesel, he’s having a good year and hopefully he’ll be one of the top 5 centers with Oden, Dwight, Yao and DeAndre Jordan
Jan.10 at 2:03 pm
Kadavour says:
Bynum is already more talented than Shaq. Shaq was just raw athleticism, coupled with his playground bully mentality. Not saying that Andrew is better mind you, just that if he were on an athletic par with Diesel, he’d be Wilt. Shaq would still be unable to consistently hit a 7ft jumper.
Jan.10 at 2:08 pm
jbn74sb says:
The way Bynum has responded to challenges has been incredible.
1. Rookie year, no PT, and get thrown to the ground like a rag deal by Shaq. The next play down, spin move, and dunk on the fat f-ck, then run up the court like eboy at a g-y pride parade in South Beach.
2. Summer after your 2nd year, when you’re 19 and still the youngest dude in the league, the best player on your team, and in the entire NBA, calls you out and it turns into the biggest story of the summer, for at least a month or so. Bynum’s response: Come in and be nearly dominant, and be the key reason that the Lakers are one of the best teams in the league.
Jan.10 at 2:14 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Wait, professional athletes are motivated by MONEY???????? Somebody call Senator Mitchell.
Jan.10 at 2:16 pm
Slick Nick Da Ruler says:
jbn, there is no such thing as “nearly dominant”
Jan.10 at 2:20 pm
white hot eboy says:
Bodie, too bad you didn’t jump on the Bynum bandwagon earlier, your observations would have merit. “Chris Mihm is the best option we have” We, like you play for them, as*hole. “What the f*ck, get rid of Bynum, get somebody in here that can help us win, fu*k him” or something VERY close to those words back in August, September and October. I’m always around Bodie, and I don’t forget.
Jan.10 at 2:25 pm
jbn74sb says:
Eboy, these other cats on here are just scared to come at you. I thought I’d liven it up a bit during a slow day at the office. However, I am 99% certain I never advocated trading Bynum, precisely because it was too soon to determine what he could turn into. But more importantly, I didn’t like the proposals that included both Bynum and Odom.
Jan.10 at 2:32 pm
white hot eboy says:
You’re full of sh*t (although I know you’re prod of that). And no one here is scared to come at me. I get it worse than anyone. You do remember advocating blowing up the squad though, right? And I, in a moment of kidness, said to you, “don’t give up on them yet”. And we did have a 200 comment comparison of Chris Mihm to HOF centers of the past and present, right. Honestly, I’m glad to see your boys doing well. Kobe’s finally playing the role Mike played in the triangle, which is the distributor, creater, finisher when need be. He should have done it a few years ago. You might still be standing strong on the top of the heap.
Jan.10 at 2:33 pm
white hot eboy says:
proud, kindness. Sorry.
Jan.10 at 2:35 pm
The Second Coming says:
I’m still a proponent of trading Odom. Great dude, great heart, but just not the right guy to gel with Kobe and Drew. Imagine having defense at the small forward spot! We haven’t had that since Cooper.
Jan.10 at 2:39 pm
Jared says:
What about Glen Rice? Na but on the reals…Rick Fox?
Jan.10 at 2:41 pm
Slick Nick Da Ruler says:
Odom will not be traded, his contract is too big, his durability is questionable, and his talent is inconsistent.
Jan.10 at 2:49 pm
Gumdrop says:
Big contract coupled with inconsistency and low durability means that Orlando should have him. Mathematically speaking that is.
Jan.10 at 2:50 pm
Gumdrop says:
Someone should tell Hollinger to create an equation that measures which teams have given the worst contracts per dollar spent. It could be called the Isaiah Theorem.
Jan.10 at 2:51 pm
Kadavour says:
and who are the Lakers gonna get from Orlando, Cook and Evans?
Jan.10 at 2:56 pm
jbn74sb says:
Yes, eboy, I did have a momentary lapse in sanity regarding Mihm, which has now been retracted at least 17 times. Now, don’t you have a try-out with the Heat (or at least their dance team) to get to or something?
Jan.10 at 2:56 pm
Gumdrop says:
I’m not saying that there is a viable trade to be done Kadavour, I’m just making fun of Orlando’s front office.
Jan.10 at 2:59 pm
white hot eboy says:
I could probably make it onto the Golden Oldie Dancers.
Jan.10 at 3:00 pm
AddDoe says:
Whats a matter with the clock
Jan.10 at 3:16 pm
Kadavour says:
i was kidding too. don’t wanna engage in battle with you like eboy and jb
Jan.10 at 3:19 pm
Allenp says:
Whoever said Shaq didn’t have the same skills as Bynum when he came out of LSU really needs to go back at watch young Diesel tapes. It will surprise you. Shaq was not huge when he came out of college. He was about Dwight Howard’s size. But he was mean and he was aggressive and he had great hands. Haters are everywhere.
Jan.10 at 3:39 pm
white hot eboy says:
Finally, something Allen and I agree on.
Jan.10 at 3:47 pm
jbn74sb says:
Shaq was an absolutely amazing athlete when he was young. The naive and uninformed think his success was merely a function of his size, yet there have been many that big (e.g., Roberts, Stanley and Eaton, Mark). What was unique about Shaq was his quickness and explosiveness, combined with his size. By the time he got to the Lakers, he had bulked up quite a bit, but when he started out he was surprisingly agile.
Jan.10 at 4:05 pm
TADOne says:
Shaq is actually still an amazing athlete to this day. I mean, how many 7′1, 340 pound guys do you know that can do the things he does. But at 36, after years of this, is wearing on him. But the man is a freak.
Jan.10 at 4:09 pm
Kadavour says:
was there ever a time when Shaq could consistently knock down a shot from 7+ feet away from the basket? I’m pretty sure this is the weakness Hakeem took advantage of in Shaq’s fleet-footed days.
Jan.10 at 4:13 pm
Kadavour says:
And Shaq absolutely doesn’t have Andrew’s touch with his shot. Shaq was quick, big, strong and BRUTAL. Great traits that made him a great big, but he never developed the fundamental ability to shoot the damn ball. Hence his current uselessness in his latter years. You take away post position from Shaq and he has NOTHING. It just doesn’t make sense to me that you call yourself a basketball player and you can’t knock down and uncontested 10ft jumper. This isn’t just at Shaq anymore, just all ballers.
Jan.10 at 4:18 pm
white hot eboy says:
Kadavour, Shaq is a one of a kind type player. Wilt wasn’t the same, because he had more of a finesse game. It’s doubtful you’ll see another player who did the things Shaq did at his size in his prime. Andrew is a nice package, but he’ll never be a 30 and 15 guy, as Shaq was. That’s franchise numbers and Andrew’s not even close to that. Dwight is closest, but still a long ways away from what young Shaq did.
Jan.10 at 4:31 pm
jbn74sb says:
eboy - While it is certainly not likely, Bynum at the very least could be a 30-15 guy. Remember, he just turned 20, and is just now figuring out how to use his body. He has an array of moves, good hands, good footwork, and nice touch, including at the FT line. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Bynum could be dropping 30 and 15 in about 5 years. That said, he is a totally different style player than Shaq.
Jan.10 at 4:33 pm
Kadavour says:
I said before that i wasn’t disputing greatness, i just said that Andrew has more talent in that, at the same age, he’s displaying better basketball skills than Shaq possessed. Physical abilities is what separates Shaq from other centers and greats in the game. Numbers aside, will you argue that Shaq is a better baller than Hakeem? Doubtful. You’ll never show a kid a tape of Shaq’s post moves to develep their skills as a big. Dude was just a God-like physical specimen with marginal skills.
Jan.10 at 4:33 pm
Bryan says:
25-13 3 blocks.
Jan.10 at 4:35 pm
Robcat says:
the most improved player of the league, this kid has lots of talent, it was just a matter of time before he started to play right. he’s just 20 years old man. he’s gonna be one of the best centers and thats gonna happen cause he’s got work ethics+talent+skills.
Jan.10 at 4:39 pm
jbn74sb says:
Better basketball skills? Yes. Better talent? No. Talent is basically natural physical abilities. Other than Wilt, Shaq is the most talented center to ever play the game. Bynum has the more traditional skill set, but nowhere near the athleticism.
Jan.10 at 4:43 pm
white hot eboy says:
Bodie, as long as Andrew plays with Kobe, he will never average over 25 points a game. And if Kobe disapeers and Andrew is the focal point, do you think he could do what’s he doing without 24’s talent around him. Again, that’s what seperates good players from great ones, and Andrew’s not facing double teams every night, let alone every possesion. Having Kobe on your squad will do that. If he’s gone, things will become REAL difficlt for the youngster.
Jan.10 at 4:55 pm
Kadavour says:
This has come to one’s definition of talent. If talent is how one uses their abilities and skills, then Shaq wins. If talent is a measure of one’s proficiency with the fundamentals and skills inherent to the position, then Andrew wins. I dunno, maybe talent is a combination of both. I’m just saying that Shaq is nothing without athleticism and it takes away from his greatness. This may be an unfair comparison, but MJ made damn sure he could hit that mid-range after he realized he wouldn’t have his unreal first step forever right?
Jan.10 at 5:06 pm
white hot eboy says:
They’re two differnt types of players, Kadavour. Shaq has lost his luster, but even without his athleticism, he still commands double teams in his slowed state presently and his SIZE is still a factor against everyone still. 7′ 1″, 320 is still a HUGE piece to move, by others and himself. Mike had to adjust because he couldn’t just sit in the block and not be moved.
Jan.10 at 5:15 pm
Kadavour says:
aight, how’s this. Put Shaq and Andrew on a physical par. who’s better?
Jan.10 at 5:18 pm
Tenorca says:
Whoa. Don’t cross Eboy. The man has Slam comments on lock in his brain.
Jan.10 at 5:24 pm
Tenorca says:
And any Bynum over Shaq talk is just bonkers. Are we forgetting what 40/20 a night Shaq was like? THAT’S dominant. I actively loathed those Laker teams but they were awe-inspiring too. To say that Shaq did nothing but slam and was nothing but a physical specimen is a deliberate misremembering. And explaining away the size difference is moot: if Tiny Archibald was Shaq’s size he would’ve been better too.
Jan.10 at 5:26 pm
white hot eboy says:
Kadavour, now? That’s too easy. Andrew is also 15 years younger, so if he wasn’t that Quizno sh*t he likes would need to be outlawed in California. 20 year old Shaq vs. 20 year old Bynum? Get a casket for the Quizno Kid.
Jan.10 at 5:27 pm
Kadavour says:
Tiny possesses an entirely different skill set and that’s an absolutely unfair comparison. I’m talking about 2 dudes around the same height who play the same position.
Jan.10 at 5:30 pm
Kadavour says:
sure Eboy, let’s say Bynum was old and lethargic, but his physical abilities were equal to Shaq’s, who’s better? And the reverse also, let’s say Bynum possessed Diesel strength and quickness from 15 years ago? Who’s the better center?
Jan.10 at 5:34 pm
white hot eboy says:
That’s all irrelavant though. What he do know is that 20 year old Shaq was a destroyer, 20 year old Andrew is a work in progress. Yes Shaw was schooled by Hakeem in the early part of his career, but guess what, so were every other center in the league at the time. Andrew doesn’t have a group of centers in that quality that Shaw had early on in his career. You can’t compare the eras, at least for big men.
Jan.10 at 5:34 pm
white hot eboy says:
Shaq twice, sorry.
Jan.10 at 5:45 pm
jbn74sb says:
I have got zero qualms about stating that a 20, 25, and even 30 year old Shaq would take Bynum and dunk his -ss, right along with the ball.
And eboy, I hear you about the decreased attention Bynum faces because of Kobe. It remains to be seen how good he can be if he is the focal point of the offense (and the defense). But I still wouldn’t put 30 and 15 totally out of reach.
Jan.10 at 5:48 pm
white hot eboy says:
He’s got the ability, but it’s WAY different when you’re on an island by yourself. Just ask 2007 Shaq while Wade was out.
Jan.10 at 5:51 pm
TADOne says:
How many centers have actually averaged 30 and 15? I’d say the list is small. And all of them would probably be HOF’s.
Jan.10 at 6:28 pm
jbn74sb says:
Tadpole - Without looking it up, I’d venture a guess that Shaq never averaged 30 and 15.
Eboy - I’d ask 2007 Shaq, but his mouth is full.
Jan.10 at 6:35 pm
Dutch Rich says:
Very hard to make this kind of comparison. Center competition was fierce back then, maybe that’s why Shaq was so dominant. That might be an overlooked perspective. This season against Yao he really came alive, probably because the focus was on that match-up. Would be good to monitor how Andrew performs against the marquis centers in the league. Undeniably Shaq was a monster in his prime. my greatest peeve with him is that he didn’t improve. And even that might be related to those great centers that were all on their way out, leaving a void until Yao came on the scene. By then the arthritis had already set in.
Jan.10 at 9:12 pm
Mark Z says:
Does anyone else think Phil is something of a d**k? Even if he’s right… He’s always calling out guys in the press. It’s seems like he does it just because he can.
Jan.10 at 9:12 pm
lec1785 says:
If you want to see some of the problems with Bynum or a preview of how he plays when the defense focuses on him, look at the Lakers-Celtics game on Dec. 30. The Celts, unlike any other team, doubled Bynum and frustrated him to the point that he could only play 22 mins, score 8, and get 2 boards; it was the worst Lakers loss in the last month. Although he’s young, he still picks up way too many frustration fouls and is more harsh on the refs than Kobe, which is saying something. Is he going to able to deal with constant fouls and inconsistent officiating like Shaq did in his prime, or will he punch some dude and kill him like Shaq almost did to Brad Miller?
Jan.10 at 9:53 pm
The Ghost of Wilt Chamberlain says:
If I was still around, I’d drop 70 and 35 on him. Although that might drop to 60 and 28 after a couple more years of him developing. Lets just hope Kareem doesn’t teach him that ugly hook shot!
Jan.10 at 10:25 pm
JONATHAN HELMICK says:
BYNUM SHOULD BE GETTING HIS MONEY NOW AND A LOT OF IT IF PHIL JACKSON WANTS HIM TO CONTINUE TO PUT UP 12.9PTS,10RPG,AND 2.1BPG HE BETTER PAY UP FAST OR BYNUM SHOULD SIT OUT AND SEE HOW GOOD THEY CAN DO WITHOUT THEM
Jan.11 at 1:16 am
ming yao says:
jonathan…its bedtime…everyone relax we (by we i mean “we lakers”- yes old fan here my game has cooper in it to this day) are fine…
Jan.11 at 1:22 am
ming yao says:
don’t let the tag confuse my loyalty or flavor of style preferred- not at all MING YAO must be the way the “great wall of houston” gets is checks-this is the debate i wish to raise and will continue to raise in this arena…do the checks say “yao ming” or “ming yao”—-i’ve chosen already….
Jan.11 at 9:48 am
nbaer says:
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Jan.11 at 1:52 pm
Sesa says:
eBoy. I’m still proud that I’m the one who said 100% Mihm is better than last season’s Bynum.
Jan.11 at 6:17 pm
ak47 says:
It took KB24’s critism of Bynum to get him to step up. But hey, at least he didn’t fold like Kwame Brown did. Bynum’s the future!
Jan.12 at 12:45 pm
Jeff says:
oh please phil cut the BS. Yo weret motivated by money to sign a 24 mil deal right?
Jan.13 at 3:49 am
TMT says:
Going to the Seattle LA game on Monday… can’t wait for another W.
Jan.14 at 7:20 am
Sesa says:
Kwame’s playing in a contract year also, but he’s still playing like crap.