Call it a twist of fate or just a plain coincidence, but the month of January and the Memphis Grizzlies have proven to be an almost deadly combination for Lakers’ starting center Andrew Bynum.
After taking a gap year last season, the Grizzlies will travel to Los Angeles tonight to take on Bynum and the Lakers, for their third January matchup in the past four seasons. Bynum’s lack of luck in such a scenario draws parallels to the Madden Curse – which has seen every player on the cover since Eddie George in 2001 undergo massive degression in performance or suffer a devastating injury.
During the 2007-08 season, Bynum was having his best year as a pro, averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game; however in a January 13 matchup with the Grizzlies, he would suffer a partially dislocated kneecap, which sidelined him for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. Without Bynum, the Lakers were able to make it to the NBA Finals, but their lack of toughness down low caused them fall to the Boston Celtics in six games.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTokWJwt60E
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