The quest for athletic supremacy has long been a battle where only the strongest of gladiator survives. It is in the championship arena where we as spectators learn what truly lurks in the hearts of our celebrated warriors.
The championship arena is where Pau Gasol learned he needed to come harder, where LeBron James learned how heavy the crown truly is and where Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Bill Russell became legendary.
The playoffs are simply where truth overtakes hope.
The truth is undeniable and unapologetic: This is the way of a vested champion, and it is this conquest that sits before Andrew Bynum. The Los Angeles Lakers center will enter the 2011-2012 postseason as the unquestioned leader of the team for the first time in his enigmatic career. Yes, Bynum has played in two NBA Finals before, but this will be the first time he enters with the bull's-eye on his back and expectations upon his shoulders.
In the 2009-2010 postseason, the seven-footer’s playoff minutes and scoring rose from the previous year, and Bynum played well in spurts. However, he only had two double-figure scoring games in the NBA Finals, and one double-figure rebound game. While anticipation was building, it was abruptly clear it was not his time.
The 2010-2011 postseason was swift and filled with controversy, and it was in those battles where the Jersey native showed he possessed the heart of fighter. In just one season, Bynum went from a paltry 8.6 points per game, to a strong 14.4 points. It was this postseason that the boyish grin Bynum displayed so often in his career was replaced with a grown-man scowl. It was in this postseason that he displayed a true grit that up to that point had yet to be seen.
A lockout, coaching change and suspension seemed to have energized the young man who desires to be king. Bynum&rs...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
