Andrew Bynum: ‘I Want to Be a Laker’

Heading into an offseason of great uncertainty, Andrew Bynum clarified comments he made following the Lakers’ elimination from the Playoffs. After initially sounding indifferent about continuing to play for the Purple and Gold, Bynum said today that he’d very much like to keep living and working in Los Angeles. From the LA Times: “Nearly an hour and a half passed, and Andrew Bynum still sat in his exit interview. It’s hard to imagine what Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Mike Brown had to talk about with Bynum regarding the 2011-12 season. […] ‘We were just talking about staying mentally strong,’ said Bynum. ‘I think it’s hard for anybody to focus at all times.’ That didn’t always happen, particularly in the postseason. Bynum acknowledged lacking enough offensive and defensive effort in all the Lakers’ three losses in their first-round series against Denver. Mike Brown and Kobe Bryant alike noticed that Bynum’s frustration with handling double teams prompted him to show less engagement on defense. […] ‘I want to be a Laker, but you never know what’s going to happen,’ Bynum said. ‘I think every day in L.A. is a good one. I don’t want to go anywhere.’ But he hardly sounded worried about all the criticism. ‘I like telling the truth,’ Bynum said, ‘and saying what’s on my mind and how I feel.’”