Bynum not sure if he’ll play this season
by Jason Wolf, USA TODAY Sports
PHILADELPHIA – Andrew Bynum said Friday that his right knee continues to swell a week after taking part in his first practice of the season and that he’s no longer confident he’ll play for the 76ers this season.
“Now it’s getting a little late, so I really don’t know,” he said.
Bynum has been sidelined by bone bruises and damaged cartilage in both knees since the Sixers acquired the one-time all-star center from the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-team trade in August.
Bynum originally injured his right knee in September and was diagnosed with a “mirror issue” in his left knee in November, when a piece of cartilage broke loose and his joint swelled after going bowling. While Bynum said his right knee felt “phenomenal” last month, his left knee remained problematic as he continued to experience pain and a locking sensation in the joint.
Now he says the left knee “feels good.”
“It’s like, if your right arm is hurting and someone punches you in the left one, you forget about the right one,” Bynum said. “So that’s kind of where I’m at right now.”
The News Journal originally reported in November that Bynum’s knee condition was likely to delay his Sixers debut until late March at the earliest and could cost him the entire season. Bynum was originally expected to be ready for the season opener on Oct. 31, but the Sixers and Bynum repeatedly delayed his timetable.
The 7-foot, 300-pound Bynum is making $16.9 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, when he’s hoping to land a long-term deal and a nine-figure pay day.
“I think being healthy is more important than anything else,” Bynum said. “If I’m healthy, I’ll get a deal, but I have to be able to play. And I need to get to the point with my body that I’m able to play, however long that takes. … I don’t know exactly how it’s going to pan out. I can’t predict the future. But I’m going to play when I’m healthy and right now that’s not the case.”
Bynum, when asked whether his condition is … [For more on Andrew Bynum not sure if he'll play this season, click here.]
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