Shots fired? Eh, not exactly. We wouldn't go that far here. But, prior to last night's 76ers/Lakers game, Andrew Bynum was asked what it was like for him to spend the first seven years of his career playing alongside Kobe Bryant in L.A. And, somewhat surprisingly, Bynum admitted that he felt it hurt his game in some ways and actually stunted his growth as a player.
"I thought it really helped me a lot obviously at first, because he draws so much attention it's hard for guys to double team and key on you, so it helped me tremendously," he said. "Later, I felt I was able to get the ball more and do more things with the ball, so I could definitely see how it could stunt growth."
Even more surprising, though, was Kobe's response to Bynum's claim. He's no stranger to taking shots at former teammates. But, Kobe actually agreed with Bynum's assessment after the game.
"For sure, because when you're playing with me, you obviously have to sacrifice something," he said. "Same thing with me and Shaq. You kind of off-set each other to a certain extent. So, I mean, that's true. When he gets back and he's healthy, he'll come out here and he'll be the focal point of their attack and he'll be getting the ball more and you'll see big games from him more consistently."
But, it wasn't all kind words and compliments from Kobe. He also took a moment to acknowledge Bynum's perm, which was out in full force again yesterday (check it out in the thumbs).
"I don't know what he's doing with that perm," Kobe said, "but I guess he's a trendsetter."
Uhhh…yeah. That's what he is. Whatever you say, Kobe.
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[via ESPN Los Angeles]
