Lamar Odom: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 03:58, 9 October 2007
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| Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward/Power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 6, 1979 South Jamaica, New York |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Rhode Island |
| NBA draft | 1999: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Playing career | 1999–present |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6 1979, in South Jamaica, Queens, New York) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward (also plays both forward spots and is a "point-forward") for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers.
In 1997, Odom was the #1 ranked High School All-American in the United States, and had earned a good reputation among basketball scouts for his excellent ball-handling and passing ability despite his size (6 ft 10 in (208 cm)). Lamar Odom is an all-star caliber player, but has been suffering from injuries in the 2006-2007 season and past years. Lamar can also play any of the 5 positions of the NBA. He can dribble the ball up the court in traffic like a point guard, shoot long distance and be clutch like a shooting guard, inbound and shoot threes like a small forward, and can post up and dunk like a center. According to the official Lakers site, Odom underwent a surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder on May 15. The surgery was conducted by Dr. Lewis Yocum of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.
Basketball career
High school
As a sophmore Odom played for Christ The King High, in Middle Village, NY. As a senior, Odom played for Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, New York. However, after the basketball season ended at Redemption Christian, Odom transferred once again to St. Thomas Aquinas Prep in New Britain, Connecticut. 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.
College
In 1997, Odom attended 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.[1] Coach Bill Bayno was fired and UNLV was placed on probation for four years. Odom transferred to Rhode Island, but had to sit out the 1997-98 season.
Odom played one season at the University of 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 gave the Rams their first A-10 Tournament title.
Los Angeles Clippers
Odom declared his eligibility for the 1999 NBA Draft after his freshman year at the University of Rhode Island in 1999.The 6 ft 10 forward was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the fourth overall pick. 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 of 2001 when he was suspended for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy for the second time in eight months.
Miami Heat
Odom spent four seasons with the Clippers before signing a six-year, US $65 million contract with the Miami Heat. Odom averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists and 9.7 rebounds during the 2003-04 season, helping the Heat to a playoff berth.
Los Angeles Lakers
In the 2004 offseason, he was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a trade that brought center Shaquille O'Neal to Miami. In his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Odom and superstar Kobe Bryant never established the chemistry analysts might have expected the two dynamic players to build. The Lakers finished out of the playoffs for only the 4th time in franchise history.
Following the disappointment of missing the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers hired former coach Phil Jackson in the 2005 offseason, in the hope that he could mold Odom into a Scottie Pippen-type player to run his triangle offense as a point forward, by which he meant a forward who could handle the ball and bring the ball forward, as Pippen was able to. 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.
International
Odom played in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece for the United States National Basketball Team, averaging 5.8 ppg en route to a bronze medal. He has earned 14 caps in total for the USA squad. He was invited to play for the FIBA World Championships for 2006 and 2007 but did not go through because of the death of his son.
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | ||
 |
2004 Athens | United States |
Trivia
- Enjoys traveling in the off-season and lists France as his favorite destination.[2]
- Lamar loves to sing.[3]
- Lamar says that Elton Brand and Ron Artest are among his closest friends in the league.[3]
- Lamar enjoys eating candy jelly rings.[3]
Personal life
On June 29, 2006 Odom's 6½-month-old infant son Jayden died from suffocation while sleeping in his crib in New York.[4]