Written by Adi Joseph at FTW.com
The downward spiral that put Lamar Odom in a Nevada hospital on kidney dialysis in 2015 formed through the complicated tapestry of Odom’s personal history and life at that time. Many blamed his relationship with the Kardashians or his difficult and often tragic upbringing.
But few individual events in the years leading up to his fall seemed to impact Odom quite like being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers. In December 2011, coming off a Sixth Man of the Year-winning season, Odom was dealt along with a second-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for a future first-rounder. The Lakers essentially wanted to get his $8.9 million salary off their books.
Six years later, having made it all the way through those scary days on a hospital bed and getting himself and his life back in shape, Odom still seems as rankled by that trade as he did when he broke down on his former TV show, Khloe & Lamar, over it at the time. He spoke recently with The Vertical’s Shams Charania:
“That trade from the Lakers basically ended my career and purpose,” Odom told The Vertical. “I was never really myself ever again. Being in L.A., the structure, the people I knew, it hurt leaving. I had great memories with the Lakers, with Kobe and Pau. That was a special time in my life.
“I got traded the season after we lost to Dallas in the playoffs, and I had won Sixth Man of the Year for the team. To trade me after winning Sixth Man of the Year … what else do I got to do? Why?
“I think about it all the time, about how much I had left in the tank. I had issues going on. But barring injury, could I play in the NBA today? I could play. I should still be playing.”
Odom, 37, wouldn’t be the oldest player in the NBA if he were still playing. Fellow 1999 draftees Jason Terry, Metta World Peace and Manu Ginobili played in the league last season, as did 1998 picks Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter — the latter three all have deals for next season.
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