Kobe Bryant was one of the few strong admirers of Lamar Odom despite his off-the-court lifestyle and the latter still feels his presence
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Lamar Odom, the 6’10, 230 pounds, Rhode Island forward was the only piece of the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal trade, who would help them win championships.
He came to LA in a package deal for the Lakers that also included Caron Butler and Brian Grant but was the only one who stayed long enough to see them through two championships.
Although his game kept declining along with his fitness throughout his tenure with the Purple and Gold, he did enough to be a top-notch Sixth man for his team and in the league.
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The 2011 Sixth man of the Year, despite his undisciplined lifestyle, had a close relationship with Kobe Bryant wherein he treated him like a teacher and Bryant saw him as his younger brother.
Bryant apparently even appeared in Odom’s dreams several times after his death in 2020.
Kobe Bryant appeared in Lamar Odom’s dreams, not once, not twice but four times
In a podcast appearance on Club Shay Shay, speaking with host NFL legend Shannon Sharpe about his dreams, where he saw Bryant multiple times after his death.
Reminiscing his time in the Big Brother house, he shared a vivid memory of him dreaming about The Black Mamba on four separate occasions, one of which was more vivid than the others.
LO remembers that he was in a 3-point shooting contest with Kobe which was where the 5x NBA champ tells him that “LO, the afterlife ain’t what people make it up to be.” Watch it here.
Spine-chilling isn’t it?
Kobe and LO’s friendship
Although Bryant was just a year older than Odom, the latter considered him a mentor as soon as he came to the Lakers in 2004 following his 1-year stint with the Heat.
The Mamba, coming in as a 17-year-old into NBA, did have a three-year experience more than that of the former Clippers star. Taking LO under his wing couldn’t have been an easier job for him, though.
As we all know, Kobe was a thorough professional and kept his relationships with his teammates just on the court. But in Lamar, he really might have seen a younger brother because he did treat him like one.
Despite all his off-the-court antics and declining fitness, Bryant was the top supporter to keep Odom in LA after his contract expired in 2009, and Miami Heat were interested in him again.
That relationship turned fruitful for both of them as Odom helped him win two back-to-back championships and take the tally to five, Kobe helped him get a $33 million contract with the Lakers during his declining from.
