Kobe issues a challenge to Bynum...

[Jordan-esque]

Andrew Bynum has Kareem Abdul-Jabbar teaching him the hook, but Bynum hasn't and won't use it.

After Sunday's game against Miami, after Kobe Bryant shot and made a left-handed hook shot in the fourth quarter, Bryant issued a challenge to Bynum.

"I hope Bynum was watching,'' Bryant said, smiling. "I challenged him to throw the sky hook in the game (early November) and he hasn't. So I hope he was watching.''

Well, when Bynum returns from his left knee injury, we'll see if he indeed shoots the sky hook.

LINK

Speaking of hook shots... how a bout Pau Gasol, he's made at least a handful of left and right baby skyhooks with the Lakers already. Hope Bynum's watching that too.

[semi-sentient]

That would be cool if everyone on the team had the skyhook in their arsenal.

We have so much length out there that pretty much everyone, minus our guards, could use it effectively.

[8'sReverse]

LOL. So Kobe did that for Bynum?

[tkb]

That would be cool if everyone on the team had the skyhook in their arsenal.

We have so much length out there that pretty much everyone, minus our guards, could use it effectively.

There has only been one player in history who perfected that shot, so asking for that is way too much.

I'd be ecstatic if ONE Lakers player (Bynum) could master it. It's an extremely tough shot to fully master.

[The Laker Kid]

Kobe is having so much fun... I love it. This clearly shows how happy he is with this roster.

[Danny Darko]

Nice. I like that challenge. I've been wondering where the hell it is too.

[hermes]

i hope bynum busts it out when he gets back

[ChocolateThundr]

I have never seen Kobe do any kind of hooks in games before

[RJM]

I love those things. I do hope Bynum adds that to his game right now. He would be unstoppable with all the length he gets on his field goal attempts.

[tkb]

I have never seen Kobe do any kind of hooks in games before

He pulled out the right handed baby hook in the lane ala Magic against the Celtics in the all star game once and pointed his finger to where Magic was seated in the stands right after he did it.

[LAKESHOW]

if bynum doesnt listen to kobe, thats kobes fault for not nurturing that relationship even more than it is today. secondly, its bynums fault. because at this level, he is too young to say no to anything. he needs to add all of the repitoire and upgrades into his game to compete at a high level.

magic was the best example. this guy couldnt shoot worth beans from the outside. but by the time he was midway in his championship years, he was straight up deadly from the perimeter. why? he improved and added pieces to his game.

bynum needs to do it also. add more pieces to his game and expand his game while he is young. and then during games, call upon them and dominate the competition. and eventually put his jersey in the rafters.

[Erik Eleven]

Bynum is a student of the game and has tremendous respect for KAJ and the shot that has only been mastered by one player before him.

The fact that Kobe did it once won't lessen the regard Bynum has for the sky hook, nor will it speed up the progress. I can understand if he wants to wait with bringing it out until he masters it. Kareem himself has said for a while that Bynum is shooting it pretty well.

I've had a feeling for a while that he was going to bring it out in the playoffs. That would be the Bynum way

[EHL]

^ Erik, I just shat myself.

[milesfides]

It's a playful joke between the two, I believe Kobe also won a bet off Bynum earlier this year, when Kobe bet Bynum he wouldn't throw a hook shot (Kobe won). Forgot which game though.

Kobe probably sees Bynum doing it everyday in practice too.

I think the skyhook is a rare shot, but a baby hook is a common and consistent offensive move for many frontcourt players.

What Kobe did was weird because you don't see 6'6" players throwing those hook shots, I think it wouldn't be as accurate because of the lower release point. It was pretty gratuitous, it's a circus shot.

Kobe doesn't mind taking circus shots, he has this reverse pivot fadeaway jumper that he has to scissorkick in the air to get lift on the shot.

For Bynum though, that's a key move he has to add to his arsenal. I think with Gasol, our tempo will slow down enough for Bynum not to get those dunks in transition, and the paint would be a little crowded to throw those alley-oops that we've thrown before.

It doesn't need to be a skyhook, but a reliable back to the basket move would make Bynum, and the Lakers, virtually unstoppable.

[Stegasauce]

Check out what bynum said after being drafted.

"I want to bring back the skyhook, which Kareem left behind there," Bynum said. "That's one of my favorite shots."

Lets see it drew!


http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2005/06/29/Sports/Lakers.Pick.Bynum-959952.shtml

[Erik Eleven]

^ Erik, I just shat myself.

Feel free to quote me. Sig it for all I care.

It's a pretty enticing vision, don't you think? Would the kid have that much cool? Of course he does. How crushing would that be for Shaq, to be the first victim?

[EHL]

Erik, absolutely, I was agreeing with you in my own immature way. Seeing Bynum pull a sky hook in-game with success, period, would be enough to make me swoon. Whipping it out for the first time over Shaq in the playoffs would just be sweet icing on the cake, something I'd love to see for the drama alone.

[Erik Eleven]

Do it, Andrew!