“I would still be playing right now!”: Lamar Odom discusses his life-altering experience 4 years after LA Lakers traded him to Dallas Mavericks

Lamar Odom recently talked about his near-death experience in 2015, when he fell into a coma after overdosing. He also provides an interesting update on his future.

A 2-time NBA champ and Sixth Man of the Year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Lamar Odom has enjoyed considerable success on the court. He was a key asset to the Kobe Bryant led group which made 3 NBA finals in a row.

However, his life off the court hasn’t always been pretty. Odom made national headlines when he got married to Khloe Kardashian. The relationship, however, slowly decayed away due to his issues with substance abuse.

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The descent to obscurity wasn’t abrupt for Lamar Odom. He didn’t attract any teams after he opted to become a free agent in 2013. He did try to revive his career in the Spanish League but was deemed unfit to finish out his season in Europe.

Odom’s journey after rehab hasn’t been a smooth ride by any means. He planned to enter the Chinese Basketball Association but was again advised against it due to lack of fitness. He finally joined a tournament in Dubai as preparation for Ice Cube’s Big3, but struggled heavily before he was let go.

Six years on from the debacle, Odom has had multiple people reach out to him for complimenting the path he’s taken since. Many have also congratulated him on his relatively short but illustrious basketball career.

Boxing has helped him a lot in his recovery.  The key is to stay calm and never lose faith, he reiterates. He says his story can help people change their lives, hence it becomes pertinent to share it as much as possible.

Lamar Odom makes a bold statement regarding his career

Odom said that he would still be playing and contributing in the NBA, even at age 41, if not for his addiction problems. “I really never had any problems with my lower extremities” – he was quoted saying, which he believes would have even furthered his career.

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Odom loves the game too much, however, and is still looking for opportunities to play. He has had a chat with Pau Gasol, his erstwhile teammate from the Lakers, to discuss opportunities of playing ball on one of the teams Pau owns. While Odom admits he wasn’t very prepared for the Big3, he hopes to get in shape for this opportunity.