Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum will have arthroscopic surgery to remove debris from the joints in both knees and will miss the entire season.

The procedure is intended to alleviate pain and swelling, according to the Sixers.

Bynum's longtime orthopedist, Dr. David Altchek of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, will perform the surgery.

The 7-0 center was originally diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee in September, a month after the Sixers acquired him from the Lakers in a blockbuster four-team trade that involved Dwight Howard.

Philadelphia dealt All-Star swingman Andre Iguodala, first-round draft picks Nik Vucevic and Moe Harkless and a protected future first-round pick in order to land Bynum and forward Jason Richardson.

Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo and co-owner/CEO Adam Aron said that four doctors reviewed Bynum's medical history and approved the trade.

Bynum's condition worsened in November when a piece of cartilage in his left knee broke loose and his joint swelled after he went bowling.

The Sixers, who advanced to the second round of the playoffs last season, have staggered to a 26-40 record and are well out of the playoff picture.

Bynum, who emphasized that he doesn't want to play in pain, is hopeful that science can soon come up with a solution.

"They just grew cartilage in a Petri dish, so I think science is looking at it, " he said.

Nonetheless, Magic Johnson condemned him for his unwillingness to tolerate pain. "When he was injured, he wasn't a guy who worked hard to get back. This doesn't surprise," Johnson quipped.

Bynum won two NBA titles in seven seasons with the Lakers and was coming off his best NBA season while making his first

All-Star team, starting for the West. He was the NBA's third-leading rebounder and 20th-leading scorer, while also ranking sixth in blocked shots per game.

He become just the seventh player all-time to reach averages of 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.93 blocks for a season by the age of 24. Other players 24 or under that matched Bynum's 2011-12 were Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal,

David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Bob McAdoo.

"I'm sure he'll be OK cause he's still young. He's got so much time to play and get contracts," said Metta World Peace, Bynum's teammate with the Lakers for three seasons.

"He played hard. That's the price you've gotta pay when you've won two rings."

"I wish him a speedy recovery. It was a tough, tough season," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said.

Philadelphia now has to decide if it will offer the former All-Star center any kind of long-term deal without him ever playing a second for the franchise.

Bynum is making $16.9 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent in July when he hopes to land a long-term deal and nine-figure pay day.

But some NBA GMs noted that Bynum has lost two digits on his next contract by sitting out this year, as his value probably shrank from five years and $100 million to probably one year and $8 million.

 

Sixers Center Andrew Bynum Out for Season

 

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