Topic: Andrew Bynum

Andrew Bynum (born October 27, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine O'Neal's record. Amidst the 2007–08 season, he suffered an injury on his left kneecap and eventually missed the rest of the season and all of the playoffs. He made a successful return at the beginning of the 2008–09 season. In January 2009, however, he suffered another injury, this time to his right knee. He was able to come back before the playoffs started and was part of the Lakers squad that won the 2009 NBA championship. In the 2010 post-season, Bynum played in every single playoff game with a torn meniscus and strained Achilles tendon and the Lakers repeated as NBA champions against the Boston Celtics.

Bynum was born in Plainsboro, New Jersey. His parents, Ernest Bynum and Janet McCoy, divorced when he was one year old. He spent summers visiting his father in North Carolina. Bynum has one older brother, Corey. Bynum grew up in East Orange, Irvington, and Plainsboro, New Jersey, where Bynum completed elementary school and began playing basketball.

Bynum attended St. Joseph High School, in Metuchen, New Jersey during his junior and senior year. For his sophomore and freshmen year, he attended West Windsor Plainsboro High School North located in Plainsboro, NJ. He was in the 2005 McDonald's All-American game where he tallied 9 points and 5 rebounds. In his junior year of high school Bynum averaged 16.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 6.0 blocks. As a senior, he averaged 22.4 points, 16.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game. During his junior and senior year at St. Joseph High School, Bynum finished his high school career averaging 19.2 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 5.6 blocks in 32 appearances. He originally planned to attend the University of Connecticut; however, the 17-year-old made the decision to go directly into the NBA and made himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers.