“The Lakers ruined my career”: Lamar Odom recalls how trade away from Kobe Bryant and co derailed his NBA career

Lamar Odom feels that getting traded from the Lakers to the Dallas Mavericks essentially ruined his NBA career.

Despite some of the negative aspects surrounding the time he spent in the NBA, Lamar Odom had a respectable career. He spent nearly 17 years in the league, a feat only a small percentage of players ever manage to accomplish.

He was a sought after prospect coming off a freshman year at the University of Rhode Island. He was selected 4^th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.

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He was productive from the get-go as he put up 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his NBA debut. Odom would continue to play for the Clippers until 2004, when he got traded to his next door neighbors – the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lamar Odom regrets getting traded away from the Lakers

In his time with the Lakers, Lamar Odom would continue to play at a decent level, alongside all time great Kobe Bryant.

Unfortunately, the one constant negative in his life however was the fact that he was regularly indulging in substance abuse, violating the NBA’s no-drug policy on several occasions.

Combining this along with the fact that his play had severely regressed going into the 2011 season, he was eventually traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

While sitting down with Shams Charania, Odom said, “That trade from the Lakers basically ruined my career and purpose. I was never really myself again. I had great memories with Kobe and Pau. That was a special time in my life.”

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How did Lamar Odom perform?

He would average 13.7 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game in the 7 seasons he suited up for the purple and gold.

He would go on to become a 2 time champion with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, while playing a pivotal role in the frontcourt.