Andrew Bynum admits he injured knee while bowling

• 76ers center Andrew Bynum now has injuries to both knees
• He was additionally injured while bowling during his rehabilitation
• Bynum says he just as easily could have been hurt while dunking, so it was nothing that he did

Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum, who said he had bowled a few times during his right knee rehabilitation, Sunday confirmed an ESPN report that he injured his left knee while bowling.

Bynum, who has not played for the Sixers in the preseason or regular season since coming over from the Los Angeles Lakers, said he most recently rolled a frame Nov. 10.

Bynum, who has a history of knee problems, also said, "In hindsight, I guess you shouldn't go bowling. It's not more than anything I've done in my rehab."

Bynum talked to news reporters before the team's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

He also raised the larger question, which undoubtedly not only weighs heavily on Bynum, but on the Sixers, too: "I'm taking the position that if that happens bowling, what happens dunking?"

It has been a lengthy and frustrating process for Bynum and the Sixers, who acquired the talented big man from the Lakers in an August multi-team trade that sent Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers and guard-forward Andre Iguodala from the Sixers to the Denver Nuggets.

Bynum went to Germany in September to receive protein-rich procedures on both knees, the same treatment Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has used. Proteins derived from the patient's blood are applied as a medication, according to Orthokine.com, the web site of the procedure.

The Sixers on Oct. 1 had announced that Bynum had a bruised right knee, and on Oct. 15 the team said Bynum would continue conditioning drills and get cortisone injections in his right knee to lubricate and cushion the joint. On Oct. 31, the Sixers said there was no rush to get him back on the court, "Given the long regular season and playoffs."

Last Monday, the Sixers announced that Bynum would not be ready for basketball activities until early December and would need another four weeks of conditioning, training and practice before he was ready for significant minutes. Friday, Bynum said he suffered a setback, although he said his timetable remained the same. The ESPN report followed late Saturday.

"The cartilage is in a weakened state," Bynum said Sunday. "That's what the doctors tell me. Now, I'm going through the same thing that I have in the right in the left. It's identical."

Bynum said he didn't recall a specific incident while bowling, only that he noticed swelling later.

"I didn't do anything. I didn't twist it. I didn't fall or nothing," he said. "It just kind of broke off cartilage, and got big and made the bone bruise bigger.

"You do that, which is relatively nothing, three steps. What happens when you play? That's the most important thing and why everybody is being so cautious. … I can't answer it, and they can't now, either. We're trying to figure out what's going on.

"I have issues with my knees, and we're trying to resolve it. There's really nothing to do. There's no surgical procedures that will really help or are safe to do at the moment. I just kind of have to bide my time."

Bynum is taking it day by day. It's a big season for the eight-year veteran, who is just 25. He averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds for the Lakers last season and is one of the best true centers in the league.

The Sixers see him as their center of the future, but face two significant issues. They don't know what kind of player he will be if and when he returns this season, and he is a free agent after the season. Even with those knees, it's likely a team takes a chance and offers him a maximum contract in free agency.

"I'm just waiting for the docs to give me something, and they're waiting for me to tell them my knees don't hurt," Bynum said. "That's where I'm at. … At the moment, I'm waiting for the cartilage to harden up."