Lamar Odom

 Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6th, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. Odom was a part of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won championships in 2009, 2010 , and 2011. He was also named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011. At the age of 16, Odom was awarded Parade's National Player of the Year award in 1997. Odom was a college basketball player at the University of Rhode Island and was named All-Conference honors during his first season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He then went on to become a professional basketball player. Odom was the fourth overall pick of the 1999 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team in the following year. It was during his four years with the Clippers however that he twice was suspended for violation of the league's anti-drug policies. As a restricted free agent, Odom was then signed by the Miami Heat, where he played in the 2003-04 season prior to being transferred to the Lakers. Odom played seven seasons for the Lakers before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. His career slowed down following the trade. He was traded back to the Clippers in 2012, and was a player for a brief time in Spain in 2014Odom was a member of the United States national team, winning a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in 2004 as well as a gold at the FIBA World Championship (later known as the World Cup) in 2010.Odom was married to Khloe Kardashian from 2009 until in the year. The couple was married from 2009 to 2016. Odom was a frequent guest on the reality television show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. He and Kardashian also created their own reality series, Khloe & Lamar. Odom was discovered unconscious in an Nevada brothel, and was transported to a hospital where he was in a coma. Odom later sought help for alcohol and drugs addiction. lifeOdom was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City, to Joe Odom and Cathy Mercer. [5] His father was addicted to heroin. At just twelve years old, his mother passed away from colon cancer. [6][7] On her deathbed she was said to have advised him to: "Be nice to everybody. "[88. Odom was then raised by his maternal grandmother Mildred Mercer.In his first three years of high school, Odom played for Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, Queens. The school was closed school shortly before the beginning of his senior year due to poor scores, and then transferred to Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, New York, and later, to the now defunct St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, Connecticut, where he was instructed by Jerry DeGregorio. Odom was the Parade Player of the year in 1997 as senior. [11] Odom was named Parade Player of the Year in 1997 as an senior. He also earned USA Today All-USA First Team recognition[12] while still in high school. Sonny Vaccaro, an Adidas executive, claimed that Odom was a millionaire with a $2 million smile and an academic career at the college level. Odom considered going directly to the NBA after high school, but decided he wasn't willing to go that route and he committed to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Sports Illustrated reported that Odom's ACT score was invalid and that he was detained for soliciting prostitutes. The school then terminated his scholarship. [16] To the university's further embarrassment an investigation conducted by the NCAA would later reveal that Odom had received the sum of $5,600 from one of its boostersleading to the sacking of Coach Bill Bayno and UNLV being placed on probation for four years.Odom was transferred to the University of Rhode Island, with the cost of his room and board being paid for by the money his father earned from the G.I. Bill. Since he was admitted as a non-matriculating student Odom was forced to sit out the 1997-98 season. [5][19] Odom was able to be a candidate to play intramural basketball following two semesters and a summer session. His career at Rhode Island had been in some danger during his first semester when he disappeared before the finals. That was until the coach Jim Harrick prevailed upon three of his instructors to allow him to complete his extant work. Odom was also allowed to work alongside DeGregorio who had been a Rams assistant. He became the player's closest friend in college. Odom also got inspiration from his maternal grandmother, a nurse who had raised five children and returned to college to earn her degree in the year 1980 at 56 years old. He was an Rhode Island player for one season (1998-1999), during which the team averaged 17.6 point per game and led his team to the conference championship. 20. He was awarded First Team All-Conference honors and was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year. After his three-point shot against Temple at the final buzzer, he received the honor of being named the most valuable Atlantic 10 player.