The comeback attempt by former Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is not something Paul Pierce thinks will happen.
Former Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is looking to get back into the NBA. Earlier this week, it was reported that Bynum was attempting a comeback to the NBA. Bynum has been seen working out at the Lakers’ facility and has workouts set up, hoping to land a deal prior to training camp.
Bynum has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2013-14 season when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. Knee injuries effectively ended Bynum’s career the first time around, but he is hoping to land a chance to get back into the league.
Getting back into the NBA would be a nice story for Bynum. He had a very bright future as the No. 10 overall pick by the Lakers, in the 2005 NBA Draft, coming out of high school.
Bynum had the best season of his career in the 2011-12 season, averaging 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. That season was Bynum’s lone All-Star appearance as well.
Prior to that, Bynum was apart of two championship teams with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. The second of those two titles came against the Boston Celtics led by the Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, in addition to Rajon Rondo. Pierce recently made headlines when discussing Bynum’s comeback attempt.
On an appearance of The Jump on ESPN, Pierce knocked Bynum’s comeback attempt, saying he has a better chance of returning to the NBA than Bynum does.
https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols/status/1039695820117946369
Here is an excerpt from the video from Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells.
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"“I have a better chance of probably coming back than Andrew Bynum,” Pierce said. “He’s been out of the game four years. This is only my second year out of the game.”"
Yes, Pierce has played in the NBA more recently than Bynum. However, at nearly 41-years old, no one is going to be calling Pierce to join their league except maybe Ice Cube’s BIG3. Bynum, on the other hand, will be 31 soon. While not a spring chicken, Bynum should have some good basketball left in the tank if he can stay healthy.
While injuries were the reason for him leaving the NBA, Bynum at least provided solid production last time he was in the league. He averaged 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in only 19.8 minutes per game.
While Bynum’s chances of returning to the NBA in any role are slim, he probably has a better chance of getting a shot than Pierce does.