At least that’s what he admitted after the Lakers’ blowout loss to Dallas in Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-finals, a game Bynum missed the conclusion of after his elbow into the ribs of an airbourne J.J. Barea earned the former an ejection, a probable suspension and widespread suggestions he’d done more to humiliate the proud L.A. franchise than Jerry Buss’ DUI and zipper problems combined. In the view of the LA Times’ Mark Medina, Bynum “wasted a season-long effort in avoiding a major injury, establishing a defensive identity and showing the dominance the organization envisioned he’d once own.”
Bynum was on his way to solidifying himself as one of the league’s dominant centers, took large ownership of a Lakers’ defense that largely spurred their 17-1 record following the All-Star break and appeared at his most healthy. After Bynum fielded criticism for missing the first 24 games of the season because he delayed his offseason surgery on his right knee so he could attend the World Cup, he proved the wait was worth it with a dependable force in the middle that arguably proved more valuable than Pau Gasol.
Few will remember all the aforementioned accomplishments. With a long offseason awaiting the Lakers and a possible lockout looming, teammates, the organization and the general public will see countless replays of Lamar Odom shouldering Nowitzki and Bynum lunging with a forearm shiver at Barea. That aftermath might not be fair, it might not reflect their character and it might not describe their value to the team. But Bynum and Odom only have themselves to blame for that.
Meh. As a Lakers fan, I’d say it was three games and three quarters too late. They should have sent the message in the first quarter of game one. The paint is for big boys. If you’re a little guy, you’ve got to pay the toll.
There’s no excuse for playing dirty like that. The Lakers are a great team and a force to be reckoned with but when they aren’t playing up to their potential, they act like a bunch of 2 year olds throwing fits. You know you’re playing dirty when they bring Artest in to “bring peace and order” to the game. Odom and Bynum deserved to be ejected and deserve to be suspended for their actions. And just a side note to everyone blaming Gasol for the team’s losses – would he be the hero if the Lakers had won the series or would it have been a team effort?