LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers starting center Andrew Bynum has had arthroscopic surgery to repair a tear of the lateral meniscus in his right knee, the team announced Wednesday.
The surgery was performed in New York by Dr. David Altchek, who has operated on Bynum's knee in the past. It is Bynum's third knee surgery in the past three years and the second on his right knee.
The 22-year-old has missed 96 games during that span because of various injuries, but fought through this particular ailment, never sitting out a night during the Lakers' 23-game postseason championship run despite suffering the knee injury in Game 6 of the first round against Oklahoma City.
Bynum was able to play 65 games during the regular season and into the first round of the playoffs against the Thunder with a small tear in his meniscus of his knee, an injury that both he and the team were aware of since last summer. Bynum aggravated the tear on April 30 against Oklahoma City when he hyperextended the knee.
The 7-footer averaged 8.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.57 blocks in 24.4 minutes per game during the playoffs, twice needing the knee drained of fluid during the postseason and once more on June 22 after the Lakers' championship parade.
Bynum said after his exit interview with several members of Los Angeles' front office last month that he planned to work out with a Lakers trainer in L.A. and Vancouver following the surgery to rehab his knee and improve his core strength as a preventative measure against injuries in the future.
The Lakers expect Bynum to be available on a "limited basis" at the start of training camp, Sept. 25, which comes sooner this year than most because the Lakers will conduct the bulk of their camp in London and Barcelona as one of four teams participating in the NBA's Europe Live event.
The five-year veteran, coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 15.0 points to go along with 8.3 rebounds per game, is expected to make a full recovery by the start of the regular season in late October.
Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers and Clippers for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.