TITLE: Lamar Odom Says Drug Addiction Kept Him Out of Basketball Hall of Fame
SLUG: lamar-odom-says-drug-addiction-kept-him-out-of-hall-of-fame
CONTENT:
Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom believes his struggles with drug addiction prevented him from reaching the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
During a recent appearance on the “Cousins” podcast hosted by Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, the two-time NBA champion acknowledged that he avoided drug use during the regular season but routinely indulged in the offseason.
“You get drug tested like four times in season,” Odom said. “If you get caught for sniffing cocaine, that suspension is gonna be crazy. I had some great cocaine summers though. That was my way of beating the system—just partying hard during the summertime.”
The 43-year-old was then asked if those offseason habits affected his legacy. Odom responded, “Hell yea. 100 percent. I should be where y’all at in the Hall of Fame.” He added that people had predicted a Hall of Fame future for him before he even reached the NBA.
Odom, 6-foot-10 with guard-level ball-handling and passing skills, played a key role in the Lakers’ back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. He won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011 but was never selected as an All-Star or named to an All-NBA team.
Across 14 NBA seasons with the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks, Odom averaged 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His career also included well-documented personal tragedies and battles with substance abuse that he now discusses publicly.
Odom noted that he once filmed a reality television show during the season while still winning Sixth Man honors, underscoring what he called his “grit and makeup.” Still, he conceded that drug use diminished his “overall legacy and greatness.”
The former Lottery pick said he hopes sharing his story will help others facing similar challenges. “I think about my life and the ups and the downs,” Odom said. “I probably been put here to do something more than just play basketball.”
The Lakers, meanwhile, have recently hired longtime college coach Tony Bennett as a draft advisor to general manager Rob Pelinka, hoping to identify future talent with Odom-level potential.
Source: LakersNation.com
