Bynum's history of injury has created an atmosphere for fear that each false step or turn of the ankle could lead to another disatrous malady for a player whose promising career has been defined by his inability to stay healthy.
It's remarkable that under that pretense, Bynum has found a way to still compete like every game is his last, and push the thought of injury to the back of his mind in his quest to help the Lakers achieve a historical NBA three-peat.
Teammate Pau Gasol could learn a few things from Bynum.
I'm sure that the threat of hurting his knee still scares Bynum and after his latest injury the pain and fear that accompanies the uncertainty of severity was evident on his face as he sat huddled on the court.
In Game 1 of the Lakers first round playoff series against the New Orleans Hornets, Bynum was tentative on both ends of the court, as he attempted to gauge how much pressure his surgically repaired knee could stand.
Bynum must have felt comfortable with the results, because there was certainly nothing tentative about his performance in Game 2, as his 17 points and 11 rebounds helped the Lakers even the series at one game apiece.
The numbers are great, but more importantly, Bynum was playing with the same type of aggressiveness, toughness and heart that he displayed prior to being injured late in the regular season against the San Antonio Spurs.
Bynum found a way to channel his fear into energy on the court and it's a lesson that he should share with the struggling Gasol.
Gasol has combined for a grand total of 16 points in the Lakers first two playoff games and he has been Bynum's polar opposite when it comes to playing with intensity in the paint.
For whatever reason, Gasol just does...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
