Lamar Odom

From Hoopedia

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 can act as a "point forward" if needed) 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)). Odom is also one of the few players who 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 like a shooting guard, inbound and shoot threes like a small forward, and can post up and dunk like a center. Analysts have often referred to him as a "Triple Double waiting to happen" due to the number of times he has missed a triple double by an assist or a rebound.

Basketball Career

High School

As a sophomore Odom played for Christ The King High, in Queens, New York. 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. 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 Ten 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. 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.

Miami Heat

He 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 for All Star Shaquille O'Neal.

Los Angeles Lakers

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.

Odom played in the 2004 Summer Olympics in, 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 Championship team for 2006 and 2007 but did not go though because of the death of his son.

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. His son's death was on the anniversary of Odom's grandmother's death. Odom now has a tattoo of Jayden on the left side of his chest.

Categories: NBA Players | College Players (Men) | High School Players (Boys) | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles Clippers | Miami Heat | UNLV Runnin' Rebels | Rhode Island Rams | McDonald's All Americans