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Sixers introduce Bynum, Richardson at Constitution Center

The Sixers introduced their newest acquistions, Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson, at an introductory press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Constitution Center.

New Sixers Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson are introduced at a public press conference. (David Swanson/Staff Photographer )
New Sixers Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson are introduced at a public press conference. (David Swanson/Staff Photographer )Read more

The Sixers introduced their newest acquistions, Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson, at an introductory press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Constitution Center.

Bynum and Richardson came to the Sixers as part of a four-team deal that also sent Andre Iguodala to the Denver Nuggets and Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

This press conference was different than most, as it was open to the public. The crowd of hundreds of Sixers fans wasted no time letting their voices be heard, as they serenaded Bynum with chants of "Andrew Bynum!" and "Beat L.A.!" as he walked to the stage.

Bynum has been getting the royal treatment from fans, so much so that he hinted at something that made the crowd go wild, and his agent likely cringe.

In the final year of his contract, Bynum could test the waters of free agency this offseason, but when asked if he was considering signing an extension, Bynum said, "To be honest, my first experience here's been so great, I'm really leaning toward to making this my home."

Joining the Sixers, Bynum will have a different role than he did with Lakers, where he was often the second or third option behind Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but he is looking forward to that.

"It's the next step in my career," Bynum said. "It's a lot more exciting and a lot more fun knowing they are going to run [the offense] through you. Looking at the roster, we have a deep team. The sky is the limit."

Richardson reiterated Bynum's enthusiam saying, "I'm excited about this team. Seeing them last year, what Doug did with them. They're a young team with a lot of energy"

Bynum, who averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds with the Lakers last season, said that his first thought upon hearing that he was traded to the Sixers was, "I'm coming home."

This may be where Bynum grew up - technically outside of Princeton, N.J. - but that doesn't mean he was a Sixers fan.

"Growing up, I was kind of a Bulls guy. Didn't know much about the Sixers. I'm happy to be here now."

Coming in with two titles, Bynum has considerably more playoff experience than the rest of the team and the 24-year-old plans to share that with his teammates.

"It's work, every single day, day in and day out," Bynum said on what it takes to become a champion. "I'm looking forward to getting into the locker room and sharing [that experience] with our team."

With that experience comes pressure, something he said he is "confident" and "ready" to handle.

"[In L.A.] I was compared to Kareem and Shaq. I like that I am that good of a player to be compared to them," Bynum said. "I'm going to work hard to try to be the best. I'm looking forward to the pressure. Pressure makes diamonds."

When asked about his knees, Bynum confirmed that he will travel to Germany to have the same procedure that Bryant, among other athletes, have had done to help maintain cartilage in the knee. Bynum said he played all of last season without setbacks and that he feels good now, but after talking to other players who have had the procedure, he decided he would give it a try.

Other quotes:

Sixers president Rod Thorn on how they were able to complete the trade: "It's all about having assests. The last few years we tried to gather as many assests as we could. If we don't have some of them, we don't make this trade."

Managing owner Joshua Harris on the move: These moves "will make an immediate impact on our franchise." ...  "Completeing the trade for Andrew and Jason is the next chapter in a series of moves that we believe put us in a position to win." ... "We will work tirelessly as we continue ... to try to bring a championship to Philadelphia."