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
Next: And then the Next Season
The following season, events played out similar to the previous year: the Lakers were scheduled to play Memphis during the month of January, and when they did, Andrew Bynum went down with another injury. This time, he returned with three games remaining in the regular season, and he went on to play throughout the playoffs – however, it was obvious he was playing timidly, and most of his minutes went to Lamar Odom throughout the Lakers championship run.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2NUsGSzw0Q
Having avoided the “Grizzly January Curse” last season by one game (the Lakers played in Memphis on February 1st last season), Bynum was able to make it through the month and the Lakers’ February contest against Memphis without suffering a knee injury.
After missing the first 24 games to this season, it would appear almost impossible for Bynum to see his knees take another hit courtesy of the Grizzlies during the month of January. Nevertheless, if the unfortunate does take place and Bynum does go down with a knee injury tonight, it will be tough for people not to consider the “Grizzly Jan” the newest curse in sports.
Will the Lakers hold him out of tonight’s contest just based on superstition? Probably not. Yet, it will be difficult to not be wary of any contact around the knee’s of Andrew Bynum tonight.
Do you think Bynum should play tonight? Take the poll at the top of the page and let us know what you think!
Also, be sure to vote Bynum and the rest of your favorite Lakers into this year’s all-star game, which will be held at Staples Center: http://www.nba.com/allstar2011/asb/eng/ballot.html?cid=nba362