Remember Andrew Bynum? The player once dubbed “Baby Shaq” got off to a memorable start in his NBA career, being chastised by Kobe Bryant before he ever took the floor and shortly thereafter establishing himself as perhaps the most promising young center in basketball. He later helped the Lakers to back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, the high points of a career that ended sooner – and in stranger circumstances – than anyone could have anticipated.
Bynum, who missed the entire 2012-13 season with a knee injury after being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, signed a partially-guaranteed, one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers the following summer. Cleveland, desperate for talent in the ugly on-court aftermath of LeBron James’ first Decision, didn’t expect Bynum to regain the form that made him an All-Star with the Lakers, but at the very least saw him as a low-risk, high-reward signing capable of sopping up minutes in the middle. But not even that humble possibility came to fruition, as the mercurial big man sabotaged his tenure with the Cavaliers by exhibiting scant effort on the floor, culminating in one of the most infamous practice performances in league history.
Here’s Adrian Wojnarowski in 2014, back then with Yahoo Sports.
Before Bynum was thrown out of his final practice and suspended, he was shooting the ball every time he touched it in a practice scrimmage, sources said – from whatever remote part of the court he had caught the ball.
You thought that the last week in the NBA was crazy? Well, just imagine if Anthony Davis, instead of politely requesting a trade, hoisted up half-court shots every time he touched the ball in practice as a means of facilitating his departure from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Bynum’s last day with the Cavaliers, needless to say, will live in league infamy forever.