Andrew Bynum Hopes to Play After the NBA All-Star Break

Philadelphia Sixers center Andrew Bynum took shots in front of reporters today for the first time, and says the pain in his knees has subsided considerably. The big man hopes to make his season debut just after the All-Star break next month. Per the Delco Times: “Everybody else had left the court at PCOM, when Andrew Bynum grabbed a ball and – with assistant coach Michael Curry serving as his rebounder – began to take shooting practice. It’s not the first time Bynum says he’s taken shots, but it’s the first time in front of reporters. Bynum, who has missed the entire season with bilateral bone bruises in both knees, said Monday he’s hoping for a return to the court after the All-Star break. Here’s what else he had to say: Feel good out there? ‘Yeah, man. Coming along well. I’m up to running now on the (anti-gravity treadmill), steady at an eight-mile-an-hour clip for 20 minutes, so that’s good. I’m incorporating weights. Time to get ready – ready to play.’ […] Mentally, does it feel good to be on the court? ‘I feel much better, mentally. I wake up today and I’m ready to go and work out, so that’s good, versus the alternative of sitting around all day and just waiting. The waiting is over. The motion is good.’ […] Do you have a date circled on your calendar for a return? ‘I don’t ideally have a date. I just want to get back. I think – I’m hoping – around the All-Star break. That’s what I’m hoping, but…’ Probably after the All-Star break? ‘I have no idea exactly when I’ll be back. But that’s my hope.'”