Lamar Odom

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Lamar Odom

Free agent – No. –
Power forward, Small forward
Born: November 6, 1979 (1979-11-06) (age 29) South Jamaica, Queens, New York City, New York
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Weight	230 lb (104 kg)
League	NBA
High school	Christ The King Regional Redemption Christian Academy St. Thomas Aquinas Prep
College	Rhode Island
Draft	4th overall, 1999 Los Angeles Clippers
Pro career	1999–present
Former teams	Los Angeles Clippers (1999–2003) Miami Heat (2003–2004) Los Angeles Lakers (2004–2009)
Awards	All-Rookie First Team (2000) 1-time NBA Champion (2009)
Profile	Info Page

Olympic medalist
Lamar Odom in a Lakers/Bucks game, December 6, 2005.
Medal record
Men's Basketball
Competitor for  United States
Bronze	2004 Athens	National team

Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6, 1979) is an American professional basketball forward, who currently is a free agent.

High school

In his first three years of high school, Odom played for Christ The King Regional High School in Middle Village, New York. He transferred first to Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, New York for the basketball season and then to St. Thomas Aquinas Prep in New Britain, Connecticut.^[1][2] Odom was named the Parade Magazine Player of the Year in 1997. He was named to the USA Today All-USA 1st Team as a senior. During his youth, Odom was teamed with Elton Brand of the Philadelphia 76ers and Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers on the same AAU team.

College

In 1997, Odom attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and was enrolled in summer classes. Following an academic scandal, an NCAA inquiry found Odom received payments amounting to $5,600 from booster David Chapman.^[3] Coach Bill Bayno was fired and UNLV was placed on probation for four years. Odom then transferred to the University of Rhode Island, but had to sit out the 1997-98 season.

Odom played one season at Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Conference, where he scored 17.6 points per game and led the Rams to the conference championship in 1999. His three-pointer against Temple at the buzzer^[2] gave the Rams their first A-10 Tournament title.

NBA career

Los Angeles Clippers (1999-2003)

Odom declared his eligibility for the 1999 NBA Draft after his freshman year at the University of Rhode Island in 1999. The 6 foot 10 inch forward was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the fourth overall pick.^[4] In his first season with the Clippers, Odom averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game and was named to the 2000 NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Odom was involved in controversy in November 2001 when he was suspended for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy for the second time in eight months.^[5] It is generally accepted that Odom's suspension was for use of marijuana, which is not subject to the NBA's harsher "Drugs of Abuse" rules. At the time, he admitted to smoking marijuana.^[5]

He was then a free agent and was acquired by the Miami Heat in the off-season.

Miami Heat (2003–2004)

Odom had a very notable season with the Miami Heat in which they made the playoffs after struggling all year with promising rookie Dwyane Wade. He had a very solid season compared to his sub-par season with the Clippers the previous year. After the season, Odom was traded in a package with Caron Butler and Brian Grant to the Los Angeles Lakers for All-Star Shaquille O'Neal.

Los Angeles Lakers (2004-present)

In his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Odom and Kobe Bryant never established the chemistry analysts might have expected the two players to build.^{[citation needed]} Odom then incurred a left shoulder injury which forced him to miss the rest of the 2004-05 NBA season. The Lakers finished out of the playoffs for only the 5th time in franchise history.

Following the 2004-05 season, the Los Angeles Lakers re-hired former coach Phil Jackson in the 2005 offseason. In the first half of the 2005–06 NBA season, Odom displayed inconsistency while playing with the Lakers. However, as Los Angeles progressed towards the NBA playoffs, Odom played very well in preparing the Lakers for the playoffs. Along the way, he posted consecutive triple-doubles for the first time as a Laker against the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers lost in the first round against the Phoenix Suns in 7 games, after the Lakers had a 3-1 lead.

After young center Andrew Bynum went down with a knee injury during the 2007–08 NBA season, and Pau Gasol was acquired by the Lakers midseason, Odom played well, averaging 15.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists per game after trading for Gasol.^[6] Odom finished the season with 14.2 ppg 10.6 rpg and 3.5 apg.^[7] Odom's numbers were down in the Finals, however, where he averaged 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game,^[8] with the Lakers losing in the 2008 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics.

In the beginning of the 2008-09 NBA season, Odom was moved back to the bench.. When Bynum was injured in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies in January, however, Odom returned to the starting lineup. In the month of February, Odom, playing 36 minutes per game, averaged 16.5 points, 13.4 rebounds (4.9 offensive and 9.5 defensive), 2.4 assists, 1.4 blocks, as well as .9 steals.^[9] The February run included a good performance at Quicken Loans Arena at Cleveland. With 15 points in the 3rd quarter, Odom helped the Lakers out of a 12 point deficit to turn it into a 10 point victory, breaking Cleveland's 23 game home win-streak.^[10] He finished the game with 28 points, 17 rebounds and 2 assists.^[11] Odom returned to the bench as a sixth when Bynum returned on an April 9 home matchup versus the Denver Nuggets. Odom then finished his season with 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 blocks with 29.7 minutes per game.^[12]

Olympics

Odom played in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens for the US national team, averaging 5.8 ppg en route to a bronze medal. He made 14 appearances for the US Team. He was invited to play for the FIBA World Championships for 2006 and 2007 but did not go because of the death of his son.

Personal life

Odom was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York. His father was a heroin addict and his mother died of colon cancer when he was twelve years old. He was raised by his grandmother Mildred.^[13]

Odom, his longtime girlfriend Liza Morales, their 10-year-old daughter, Destiny, and 7-year-old son, Lamar Jr., live in Manhattan Beach, California.^[5] On June 29 2006, Odom's 6½-month-old infant son Jayden died from SIDS while sleeping in his crib in New York.^[4][14]

Odom was recently featured in Pro Skater Rob Dyrdek's MTV show Fantasy Factory, and is planning to invest in an L.A. restaurant with Dyrdek. He was also was featured in the music video for "We Made It" by Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park. Odom also has his own music and film production company, Rich Soil Entertainment.^[5]

Odom is noted for being a professional athlete with a significant fondness for candy. Wrigley made a replica of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy out of candy in celebration of the Lakers' victory in the 2009 Finals, and Odom's name is featured on the base. ^[15]

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lamar Odom

• Official website
• Lamar Odom on Twitter
• Profile at NBA.com
• Lamar Odom & Los Angeles Lakers Italian Fan Site

v • d • e 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalists Men's Basketball – United States 4 Allen Iverson · 5 Stephon Marbury · 6 Dwyane Wade · 7 Carlos Boozer · 8 Carmelo Anthony · 9 LeBron James · 10 Emeka Okafor · 11 Shawn Marion · 12 Amar'e Stoudemire · 13 Tim Duncan · 14 Lamar Odom · 15 Richard Jefferson · Coach: Larry Brown · Assistant Coach: Gregg Popovich · Assistant Coach: Roy Williams · Assistant Coach: Oliver Purnell