What You Need to Know about Lamar Odom’s Life of Loss

5. Lakers Legacy

The 35-year-old is best known for his Laker days. Lamar played for the well-known Los Angeles team, under coach Phil Jackson from 2004-2011. He battled a number of injuries during his time with the Lakers, and was almost traded to Miami in 2009, but after negotiating a 4-year, $33 million deal, LO remained with Los Angeles. He played a crucial role for the Lakers winning over the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Championships and over the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals. In 2011, Odom was awarded the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, becoming the first player in Lakers history to do so. During the off-season, Odom considered taking a break from basketball after a close cousin died. Odom was also the passenger in an SUV accident that killed a teenage cyclist.