Lamar Odom News: Pro Sports Daily

Odom takes down the basketball hoop at Manhattan Beach home

Comment

October 28

Los Angeles Times

"Los Angeles Laker forward Lamar Odom has listed his Manhattan Beach home for $2,399,000. The two-level Mediterranean has five bedrooms and five bathrooms in about 4,200 square feet. Custom-built in 2002, the house has an open floor plan, a family room with a hand-carved bar, three stone fireplaces, an office and a swimming pool with a spa. There are views of downtown L.A., the Hollywood sign and the mountains. Odom, 29, bought the house in 2006 as a family home and a place to entertain his fellow Lakers, according to reports at the time. He recently married actress Khloé Kardashian, 25. Her "Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami" series, which started in August, is a spinoff of "Keeping Up With ..."

Lamar Odom leaves game with right leg contusion

Comment

October 16

Los Angeles Times

"Quick word from Lamar Odom after Friday's 97-92 win over the Kings in Las Vegas. LO limped to the locker room at the end of the first half after getting kicked in the right shin, possibly by Sacramento's Jon Brockman, who was locked in a scrum on the floor with Ron Artest. Josh Powell started the second half, and when Odom tried to enter the game he quickly had to check out, clearly in pain. After the game, he wasn't worried. "I'm alright. It'll be alright. They were wrestling down there, Ron, the wrestler and Brockman, they were wrestling and someone down there kicked me," Odom said. "Front side. Right side on my shin. Right on the muscle there. It's a tough place to get hit. Treatment, ..."

Odom OK with role off bench

Comment

October 8

L.A. Daily News

"One by one, the Lakers clambered aboard the bus that would take them to the Honda Center for their 118-101 exhibition victory Wednesday night over Golden State. They settled into the same seats they had occupied last season. Lamar Odom dropped into his familiar spot between Adam Morrison and Josh Powell, with Luke Walton seated across the aisle to Odom's right. Ron Artest at first took DJ Mbenga's place, but then was directed to the spot formerly occupied by Trevor Ariza. Artest signed with the Lakers as a free agent from Houston during the summer. He's the only newcomer to the NBA champs. Ariza, who signed with the Rockets on the same July night that Artest signed, was the only key player ..."

Odom insists he "was really close" to leaving the Lakers for the Heat

Comment

August 1

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"In an emotional, candid and introspective radio interview Friday, Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom revealed that he, indeed, stood on the verge of returning to South Florida as a free agent this week and insisted that he never attempted to use the Miami Heat as leverage. "I was really close," Odom told ESPN-760 host Evan Cohen. "I weighed and I balanced every option. I did it 50 times, 60 times" While Odom eventually agreed to a four-year, $33 million contract with the Lakers, he said his contact with Heat President Pat Riley and Heat guard Dwyane Wade and his affection for Heat owner Micky Arison transcended the fact that the Heat could offer no more than $34 million over five ..."

Lakers sign Odom to four-year deal

Comment

August 1

Los Angeles Times

"It had taken all month for Lamar Odom and Mitch Kupchak to reach this point, with the free-agent forward and the Lakers' general manager sitting side-by-side at a news conference Friday. Odom agreed to return to the Lakers, but Kupchak noted that the contract negotiations "took many twists and turns." Odom called it "a tedious time." Still, Kupchak and Odom were finally together at the team's El Segundo training facility. "I guess it's a little late to ask him for a little bit more," joked Odom, who then signed his contract -- a four-year deal worth about $33 million, with a team option for the final year. "You can ask," Kupchak answered, getting laughs from reporters. Odom acknowledged he ..."

Lamar Odom agrees to return to Lakers

Comment

July 30

Los Angeles Times

"The Lakers reached a deal to re-sign free-agent forward Lamar Odom today, retaining an important, and versatile, part of last season's championship run, a source close to the negotiations told the Times. Odom, a 6-foot-10 forward, has been a key player on the Lakers for five seasons. He became an unrestricted free agent in July. ESPN.com reported that the deal was worth $33 million over the four years if the Lakers exercise the final year of the contract. It was widely known that Odom, who will be 30 in November, would have to take a pay cut because of his age, the declining economy and the small number of teams that were far enough under the NBA salary cap to make a legitimate offer to ..."

Source: Odom, Lakers agree on deal

Comment

July 30

ESPN.com

"Free agent forward Lamar Odom will return to the Los Angeles Lakers, an NBA source said Thursday. One source with knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com the four-year deal is worth $33 million if the Lakers exercise the final season. One source close to the process said Odom will come away with a guaranteed $27 million from the new contract, matching the original value of the three-year, $27 million deal Lakers owner Jerry Buss pulled off the table earlier this month. It's believed that the structure of the new deal calls for Odom to earn $25 million over the first three seasons, with the Lakers owing him $2 million in the fourth year if they elect not to pick up their team option. Reached ..."

Pursuit of Lamar Odom puts Riley's negotiation skills to test

Comment

July 29

Miami Herald

"As the story goes, team president Pat Riley was in a room a few months back with dozens of Miami Heat fans on the verge of canceling their season tickets. The reasons they gave ranged from having to make sacrifices in a slumping economy to the Heat's gradual drop off since the team won its lone NBA title in 2006. Riley listened to each concern, rubbed his chin and launched his best sales pitch. ``I had an opportunity to speak with three groups that were on the fence for a number of reasons -- the economy, the product, the price,'' Riley said as he recalled the impact of his message. ``And they all renewed. So just get in a room and let me talk.'' If only things were that simple with the ..."

Source: Lakers reduce offer for Odom

Comment

July 27

ESPN.com

"As Lamar Odom continues to mull his future, still hopeful that an improved offer for the Los Angeles Lakers is forthcoming, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade is trying as hard as he can to convince Odom to end his free-agent wait. Wade announced via his Twitter account late Sunday night that he has flown to Los Angeles to "bring Odom bac (sic)" to the Heat. That was Wade's follow-up to an earlier weekend tweet in which he implored Odom to "come back to where it started for the both of us." Although it's unclear how much impact Wade's ongoing recruiting efforts will have on his former teammate -- or if Heat president Pat Riley, who's also in L.A. this week, will be meeting face-to-face with Odom ..."

Odom 'strongly' considering Miami Heat's offer

Comment

July 26

Miami Herald

"Free agent forward Lamar Odom might have moved a step closer to a reunion with the Heat amid stalled negotiations with his current team. Odom, who has been deciding between accepting an offer from the Heat or returning to the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, is reportedly ready to bolt to Miami. A story posted by Yahoo! Sports on Saturday indicated Odom ``is leaning strongly toward'' accepting a deal with the Heat if the Lakers don't increase their offer to retain him. The report was attributed to league sources. Jeff Schwartz, Odom's agent, did not return messages Saturday. The Heat had no comment on the report and was still awaiting a decision from Odom. Odom, a versatile 6-10 ..."

Lamar Odom apparently not the ultimate long shot for the Heat

Comment

July 26

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"A Lamar Odom reunion with the Miami Heat apparently is not the ultimate longshot, even for a player coming off a championship season and facing a significant pay cut. Yahoo.com reported Saturday that the Los Angeles Lakers forward is "leaning strongly toward accepting" a Heat offer that would start next season at the $5.9 million mid-level salary-cap exception. Odom, who earned $14.1 million last season, on the final year of the deal he signed with the Heat in 2003 before being dealt a year later to the Lakers in a package for Shaquille O'Neal, entered the offseason aware he would have to take a reduced salary. However, amid negotiations with the Lakers that have included an offer limited ..."

Sources: Odom leaning toward signing with Heat

Comment

July 25

Yahoo! Sports

"Lamar Odom is leaning strongly toward accepting the Miami Heat's contract offer and leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, multiple sources with knowledge of the talks said. Odom has not reached a final decision, the sources said, but there is growing belief he will ultimately return to the Heat unless the Lakers improve their current offer. "It's close, but it's not done," said one source. Lakers officials and Odom's representatives resumed talking after a weeklong standoff that began when Jerry Buss, the team's owner, withdrew a four-year, $36 million offer that guaranteed $30 million. Sources close to Odom said that while the two sides have since talked, Buss is now offering less than the ..."

Lakers, Odom keeping in touch

Comment

July 24

L.A. Daily News

"The Lakers might have pulled their latest contract offer to free agent Lamar Odom from the negotiating table last week, but that certainly hasn't stopped Odom's camp and the Lakers from communicating. In fact, almost from the minute the Lakers yanked the offer, general manager Mitch Kupchak was in contact with Odom's agent, Jeff Schwartz. The dialogue between them has been steady ever since, according to Lakers spokesman John Black, although Black did not classify their communication as "negotiations." "I wouldn't say that, no," Black said. "Basically Jeff and Mitch continue to stay in touch, pretty much on a daily basis." A recent report indicated that talks between the Lakers and Odom ..."

Odom and Lakers resume talks

Comment

July 23

Los Angeles Times

"Is the table being set again? A week after the Lakers pulled a pair of contract offers to Lamar Odom off the table, the sides resumed talks Wednesday. The discussions were labeled productive, but there was nothing to report "at the moment," according to a source familiar with negotiations who was not authorized to comment publicly. It didn't look great last week for Odom's return to the Lakers after the franchise yanked its offers of three years and $30 million or four years and $36 million, with the fourth year only partially guaranteed. But the sides began communicating in a more positive light Wednesday. Financial details were not immediately available, though the Lakers were not ..."

Fisher takes a shot at keeping Odom as a Lakers teammate

Comment

July 22

Los Angeles Times

"It seemed like a clever gimmick when Lakers guard Derek Fisher, actor David Arquette and fast-food icon Ronald McDonald heaved 33-foot shots from a third-story balcony at L.A. Live on Tuesday to publicize the Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament to be held Aug. 14-16 and benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. Under difficult circumstances, Fisher gave it his all. He tried flinging. He tried finessing. He shot from a running start. He shot from a standing start. Though known for his clutch long-range shooting, he couldn't get anything to fall and had to watch avid Lakers fan Arquette make the only shot while TV cameras were rolling. In an ideal world, Lamar Odom ..."

Lakers need to hold on to Lamar Odom, Clippers need to not grab Allen Iverson

Comment

July 22

Los Angeles Times

columnist Bill Plaschke

"Only in Los Angeles, it seems, could there be a basketball meltdown in the middle of July. Only in a Southland summer could there be two prolific baseball teams, a historically prolific soccer player, and yet all anybody really cares about are puny initials. What's up with A.I.? What's going on with L.O.? For the sake of hardwood sanity in this hoops capital of the world, I come forward today with two pleas. Please, Donald Sterling, do not be suckered into signing Allen Iverson. Please, Jerry Buss, do whatever it takes to sign Lamar Odom. Both owners are on the spot here, with resolutions coming any day now, and the predictions are mixed. It's a good guess that Sterling will not impose his ..."

Heat targeting both Boozer and Odom

Comment

July 16

Yahoo! Sports

"Pat Riley has listened to Dwyane Wade(notes) express his unease with the Miami Heat sitting out the Eastern Conference's arms race this summer. As the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic elevated themselves as championship contenders, the Heat president sold his superstar on patience, promising a plan to surround him with talent for the long run. Now, the Heat are working furiously to deliver Lamar Odom(notes) and Carlos Boozer(notes) to the shores of Biscayne Bay. The Heat are trying to sell Odom on a five-year, $34 million contract at the mid-level exception, and a league executive with knowledge of the talks says Miami has also hatched a three-way proposal with the ..."

Lakers pull Odom deal off the table

Comment

July 16

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Los Angeles Lakers have retracted a contract offer to forward Lamar Odom, saying talks to re-sign the free agent have stalled. Lakers Public Relations Director John Black said the team had taken the offer off the table in the past two days. "There are specifics behind why we pulled it, but that's not something we're going to get into," Black said. Lakers owner Jerry Buss had offered Odom two deals, according to the Los Angeles Times. One was worth $36 million for four years and the other was for $10 million a season for three years. Odom, who will turn 30 in No vember, made $14.1 million this past season. Black said talks with Odom's agent, Jeff Schwartz, have been on and off. "We ..."

Odom's dealings with Lakers sound too familiar

Comment

July 16

L.A. Daily News

columnist Ramona Shelburne

"Haven't we heard all of this before? Pulled offers? Angry owners? Hurt feelings on both sides? A breathless fan base hanging on every blog post and tweet? It's like a game of free agent negotiating Mad Libs. Take all the stories written about Manny Ramirez about five months ago. Replace Ramirez with Lamar Odom, replace agent Scott Boras with agent Jeff Schwartz, Dodgers with Lakers ... and continue with the story. It all seems rather dramatic right now, with Lakers owner Jerry Buss angrily withdrawing his contract offers to Odom just five days after general manager Mitch Kupchak told an L.A. radio station that "there is no replacement for Lamar Odom" and sources on both sides of the ..."

Heat finds itself as leverage in Odom's negotiations with Lakers

Comment

July 16

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"If the Miami Heat is being used for leverage when it comes to Lamar Odom's free-agent negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers, it is safe to say it is a willing participant. While the Heat is limited in the bidding to its $5.9 million mid-level exception, which is roughly one-third of what Odom earned last season and two-thirds of what the Lakers are currently offering, Odom long has remained a favorite of Heat President Pat Riley. Odom, in fact, is coming off of the final year of the free-agent contract he signed with the Heat in 2003, before he was traded the following season to the Lakers in a package for Shaquille O'Neal. Caron Butler, another forward who was sent from the Heat to the ..."

Talks break down between Lakers and Odom

Comment

July 15

Orange County Register

"The Lakers have withdrawn their contract offer to Lamar Odom and talks have broken have broken off for the time being, a team spokesman said Tuesday. Neither Odom nor agent Jeff Schwartz has responded to the Lakers' latest offer of either $30 million over three years or $36 million over four years. Odom, who earned $11.4 million last season, is seeking $10 million a year. Neither Odom nor Schwartz could be reached Tuesday."

Lakers still unsure about Odom's future plans

Comment

July 8

L.A. Daily News

"Ron Artest is coming. Shannon Brown is returning. Trevor Ariza is leaving. What about Lamar Odom? The Lakers' free-agent negotiations produced a surprising agreement with Artest and a predictable one with Brown, sandwiched around the loss of Ariza to the Houston Rockets. There has been hardly a trickle of information about Odom, however. Today is the first full day free agents can sign new contracts. Artest and Brown signed their deals with the Lakers on Tuesday night. Ariza could have done the same with the Rockets. It's uncertain what Odom's day will bring. He wants to re-sign with the Lakers and the Lakers want him back. There's been a near-total news blackout, however. Odom and the ..."

Lakers are far apart with free agents Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom

Comment

July 2

Los Angeles Times

"The Lakers had a near-perfect June, breezing through the NBA Finals in five games and capping it off with a victory parade and championship rally under sunny Southern California skies. The first day of July, however, wasn't as picturesque. The Lakers remained far apart on negotiations Wednesday with their two main free-agent pieces, forwards Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. In particular, Ariza and his agent weren't thrilled by the Lakers' annual offer of $5.6 million over an unspecified number of years. Ariza, 24, was hoping for $7 million to $8 million a year. Odom, 29, is believed to be seeking $10 million a year, though it was unclear what the Lakers offered him. Ariza's agent, David Lee, ..."

Will Lakers -- or someone else -- show them the money?

Comment

June 30

L.A. Daily News

"One by one, they said they hoped to come back to play for another NBA championship next season. Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown said they were happy and at home with the Lakers and wanted to re-sign with the team. The Lakers want them back, too. General manager Mitch Kupchak and coach Phil Jackson each said the journey to a second consecutive league title begins by re-signing the three unrestricted free agents. Kupchak made two moves toward retaining the services of Ariza, Odom and Brown when he traded two of the Lakers' three draft picks for cash and future selections. He didn't want to add players or their salaries to the roster. The next and most important step begins at 9 ..."

Lamar Odom hopes to remain with Lakers

Comment

June 19

Los Angeles Times

"Lamar Odom cleaned out his locker Thursday and left the Lakers' training facility, perhaps for the last time as part of the franchise that has employed him the last five years. Odom will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, one of two forwards the Lakers hope to re-sign to keep their frontcourt intact. Trevor Ariza is younger and has plenty of potential, but Odom can play three positions and provide much-needed backup help whenever Andrew Bynum gets in foul trouble. The Lakers hope to sign both Ariza and Odom, but owner Jerry Buss will first have to evaluate how much to offer Odom, a non-starter on a championship team. Odom was on the Lakers' books for $14.1 million this season, though he ..."

Lakers' Odom focusing on staying in L.A.

Comment

June 19

L.A. Daily News

"Lamar Odom made his demands to stay with the Lakers perfectly clear Thursday. "Three years, $80 million," he said. Then he laughed heartily. He was joking, of course. It won't take nearly that much to re-sign Odom, who will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the month. He told reporters there is nowhere he would rather play than with the NBA champion Lakers. "Hopefully, everything will work out and I'll get to stay home," he said. Odom said he hasn't spoken to his agent, Jeff Schwartz, about a new deal. Teams and player representatives can't begin negotiations until July 1. Odom and fellow forward Trevor Ariza need new contracts for next season, and there has been a great deal ..."

Lakers' Lamar Odom proves his value in the playoffs

Comment

June 16

Los Angeles Times

"His cap had been drenched in champagne and was askew on top of Lamar Odom's head. His shirt was soaked in champagne and the smile across Odom's face was wide as he rocked back and forth inside the championship Lakers locker room Sunday inside Amway Arena. Odom had done his part to help the Lakers win the NBA championship in five games, producing a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the series clincher against Orlando, and now he didn't want to "ruin this moment" talking about his future and whether that future will be with the Lakers. Odom will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, finishing the last year of a six-year, $63-million deal the Miami Heat signed him to in ..."

Emotional Odom reflects on championship year

Comment

June 15

Orange County Register

"A championship cap rested on his head, a champagne cork sat at his feet and an NBA trophy was sitting in a nearby room. Finally, Lamar Odom had what he had dreamed since he was a scrawny 9-year-old playing on the playgrounds of New York. And he smiled. "I've always seen this coming, my day, (the day) when I was going to say I was NBA champion," Odom said. "It's finally here, and it's great. It's overwhelming." Odom came off the bench and scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to help the Lakers clinch the NBA title with a 99-86 victory Sunday against Orlando at Amway Arena. It is his first title and the prospect of realizing his dream nearly overcame him before the game began. ..."

Lakers sing ode to Odom, Mr. Do-It-All

Comment

June 6

Denver Post

"Nuggets fans remember the Lakers' vulnerability for much of the first four games against Denver. They also remember the final two games, when Lamar Odom became a factor and the Lakers were overwhelming. Well, Odom is at it again in the NBA Finals, providing Los Angeles with another big-man weapon. He scored 11 points with 14 rebounds in the Game 1 win against the Magic, following his 20-and-8 effort in the Game 6 clincher against Denver and his 19-and-14 in Game 5. "I'm just patient, focused, taking my time," Odom said Friday. "My (injured) back feels better, and I'm a lot more mobile. And I know what to expect, and I'm making my open jump shots." Said teammate Trevor Ariza: "He's so ..."

Lamar Odom is ideal left-handed complement for Lakers

Comment

June 6

Los Angeles Times

columnist Bill Plaschke

"If one side of the Lakers' locker room is inhabited by a grimace, the other side is occupied by grace. If Kobe Bryant is the Lakers' heat, then Lamar Odom is their humanity, a simple guy fighting through life's complexities with sad smiles and soft wisdom. "We had a saying in my old neighborhood," he says Friday in the gentlest of New York accents. "Either you ride, or you get rolled over." These days Odom is riding, hard and fast and purposeful, across the spring courts, through our collective consciousness, maybe into a new Lakers contract, certainly into a new Lakers reputation. With his unselfish versatility -- he recorded a double-double against the Orlando Magic in Thursday's Game 1 ..."

Odom hopes to remain a Laker

Comment

June 6

L.A. Daily News

"Lamar Odom hopes to remain draped in purple and gold for a long time. Odom said Friday he intends to re-sign with the Lakers this summer. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, which means he can sign with any of the league's 30 teams. That also means he can re-sign with the Lakers. Asked point-blank if he wants to return to the Lakers, he said, "Of course." Asked if he would give the Lakers a hometown discount, he said without hesitation, "I mean, it would probably take an offer I couldn't refuse for me to play somewhere else, you know? It would take something incredible, which I don't think is going to happen. Most likely, hopefully, I'll be wearing a Lakers ..."

Lakers' Lamar Odom gives a lot and they ask for more

Comment

June 3

Los Angeles Times

"Basketball critics and Lakers fans always want more from Lamar Odom. They want more production, consistency, dominance -- just more, more, more. And Odom, he just wants to play his game, the best way he knows how. Odom is back in the NBA Finals with the Lakers, who play the Orlando Magic in Game 1 on Thursday night at Staples Center, and many still want more out of Odom because he's seen as a nightmare matchup for the Magic. "They expect more, they want more from Lamar," said Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who also is an NBA analyst for ESPN and a minority owner of the Lakers. "When people look at Lamar, they see so much more in him. They see all that talent he has there and they are ..."

It's been a bittersweet playoffs for Lakers' Lamar Odom

Comment

June 1

Los Angeles Times

"Sportswriters and fans have proposed numerous theories for Lamar Odom's up-and-down play, but here is a new one: Odom's fondness for candy. In an essay titled "Lamar Odom, Sweet Tooth and Erratic Play," Dr. Daniel Amen writes that Odom's massive consumption of candy leads to a sugar high and then a crash, evidence of which can be seen on the basketball court. Writes Amen: "Odom freely confesses that he just can't help himself when it comes to the sweet stuff and always keeps a stash on hand of Gummi Bears, Honey Buns, Lifesavers, Hershey's white chocolate, Snickers bars, cookies and more. He eats the sugary snacks morning, noon and night, and even says he sometimes wakes up in the middle ..."

Lakers forward Odom trying to fight through a cold spell

Comment

May 30

L.A. Daily News

"There was a case of bottled water stashed in the locker stall next to Lamar Odom's in the Lakers' locker room Friday night. There also was throat spray and throat drops to combat what he believed was an onrushing cold. Just as Odom's bruised lower back has improved in recent days, he's developed a case of the sniffles. He's moving better than at any time since he crashed to the court in Game 4 of the Lakers' second-round series victory over the Houston Rockets. Now he's got new health concerns, however. "My nose is running," he said before the Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. "Last two or three nights I've been taking TheraFlu Nighttime just ..."

Lakers' Odom takes pounding, endures questions

Comment

May 29

USA Today

"Lamar Odom has an unsightly knot on his lower back that looks a little like someone whacked him a few times with a hammer.The Los Angeles Lakers forward has a kind of padded girdle he curses but wears anyway, the better to withstand bumps in the low post from the Denver Nuggets' Nene and Kenyon Martin. The constant barbs from the critics? There is no contraption to protect him from those. Injured back or not, the 10-year NBA forward remains an enigmatic figure in Los Angeles. Sometimes, as in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday, he is an inspirational force who can ignite his teammates and thrill Lakers fans - 19 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in a 103-94 victory. ..."

Odom's output seen as a bonus

Comment

May 29

Denver Post

"Kobe Bryant visibly cringed Thursday when asked about the "knot" on the back of Los Angeles Lakers teammate Lamar Odom. "Have you seen it?" Bryant asked a group of reporters. "It looks like he's got a volleyball stuck inside there." Originally injured in the semifinal series against Houston, Odom had struggled against the Nuggets in the conference finals. That was until Game 5. Odom, who was averaging just 7.5 points and shooting 34 percent from the field entering the game, may have been the most dynamic player on the floor, scoring 19 points while adding 14 rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists. Now, all anyone in L.A. wants is for Odom to do it again tonight in Game 6. But ..."

Odom carries Lakers on his aching back

Comment

May 28

Orange County Register

"He has been criticized everywhere, particularly here, where even today, in a column praising him, we'll start by noting that Lamar Odom ruined a perfectly tired sports cliché. You know the one about a team responding when its back is against the wall? Odom just responded when his back was against the all. Everything - from the fate of his team to the state of his game to the health of his body - confronted Odom on Wednesday, and he responded by knocking the Nuggets onto their backs. The Lakers won the latest biggest game of their postseason - 103-94, taking a critical 3-2 lead over Denver - because of a hearty effort by their hurting forward. "I know his back has been killing him even if ..."

Odom steps up, big-time

Comment

May 28

Denver Post

"Throughout the last two rounds of the NBA playoffs, Lamar Odom has been portrayed as either a star or a stooge, often hitting both marks within minutes of each other. Monday against the Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, Odom was definitely the latter, making 1-of-8 shots and scoring five points. On Tuesday, the nine-year veteran owned up to his odorous play, saying he had to play better in order for his Los Angeles Lakers team to win. On Wednesday, in what may prove to be the pivotal contest in the series, Odom put his words into action. Playing 32 minutes, Odom took 15 shots, more than anyone else on the team - even Kobe Bryant. Odom made seven shots en route to 19 ..."

Lamar Odom plays through his pain

Comment

May 14

Los Angeles Times

"Lamar Odom bent over to put on his pants, his socks, his shoes. He put on his shirt and a vest. It was a poignant moment for Odom and the Lakers, even if he did all this after Game 5 at Staples Center. Odom had difficulty putting his clothes on after Sunday's game in Houston, the pain registering on his face with each article he put on, placed there because of a bruised back he suffered during the third quarter of Game 4. He was questionable for Tuesday night's game, but Odom gutted it out, the pain still there throughout the 18 minutes 30 seconds he played during the Lakers' 118-78 victory over the Houston Rockets that gave L.A. a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal ..."

Lakers forward Odom's availability for Game 5 in question after crash landing

Comment

May 11

L.A. Daily News

"Lamar Odom drove confidently toward the basket midway through the third quarter Sunday afternoon at the Toyota Center. In a flash, he was down and in obvious agony after crash-landing on his back in the paint. Other plays had a greater impact on the Lakers' 99-87 loss to the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of the second-round playoff series. Other plays decided which team won and which team lost as the Rockets tied the series at two games apiece. No play symbolized the Lakers' tumble more than Odom's fall, however. It was swift and unexpected and painful. For the Lakers, it means they must regroup today before playing host to what figures to be a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday night. For their power ..."

Once again, Odom creates problems for Utah

Comment

April 25

Salt Lake Tribune

"Lamar Odom won't ever be the Lakers' best player -- not while Kobe Bryant makes his living at Staples Center. Against the Jazz in the first-round playoff series, however, Odom has been L.A.'s most efficient weapon. Heading into Game 4 on Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena, Bryant averages a team-high 22.7 points. But he's shooting 38 percent, thanks to a 5-for-24 disaster in Game 3. All-Star center Pau Gasol averages 20.7 points in this series, but he earns demerits because of 63.6 percent free-throw shooting, including a 4-for-10 effort in Game 3. Hello, Odom. A veteran playmaker with the versatility to produce from all three frontcourt positions, Odom averages 17.7 points and ..."

Odom helps in his return from suspension

Comment

March 13

Los Angeles Times

"Forward Lamar Odom was back in the Lakers' lineup, though not without some good-natured banter. "You playing tonight, Lamar?" Derek Fisher asked with a puzzled look as they walked past each other in the locker room before Thursday's game against San Antonio. Then a reporter jokingly re-introduced himself to Odom. "I haven't been away that long," Odom said. Gone but not forgotten, Odom was back from a league-imposed one-game exile for leaving the bench when an altercation broke out in Monday's game against Portland. His return helped the Lakers outrebound San Antonio, 42-33, on the way to a 102-95 road victory that ranked among their best of the season, a notch or two below those in Boston ..."

Odom's suspension a reminder to Lakers that NBA won't give an inch

Comment

March 12

L.A. Daily News

"Brian Shaw was at the scorer's table, waiting to check into a playoff game in 2000 when a skirmish broke out on the floor between the Lakers' Rick Fox and the Portland Trail Blazers' Scottie Pippen. Shaw stepped over the sideline to get a closer look. How far? "About this far," Shaw, now a Lakers assistant coach, recalled Wednesday afternoon, holding his thumb and forefinger about four inches apart. It was four inches too far, as far as the NBA was concerned. The league later determined he had crossed a line and suspended him for one game. It's the same penalty the league gave Lamar Odom for leaving the bench area during the scuffle between Trevor Ariza and several Trail Blazers on Monday ..."

Lamar Odom expresses displeasure with NBA suspension

Comment

March 11

Los Angeles Times

"Reporting from Houston -- Lamar Odom walked off the court today, dripping sweat, after the Lakers' afternoon shoot-around. It's the only exercise the power forward will get today, unfortunately for the Lakers. Odom was suspended by the NBA for tonight's game against the Houston Rockets because he took a few steps toward a scuffle that evolved in front of the Lakers' bench Monday against Portland. A day after the ruling was handed down by league disciplinarian Stu Jackson, Odom was not thrilled. "I probably would do the same thing over again if I see one of my teammates put under pressure by two guys from the other team," Odom said today, his first comments since the suspension was ..."

NBA suspends Lakers forward Odom one game

Comment

March 11

L.A. Daily News

"Lakers forward Trevor Ariza escaped further punishment from the NBA on Tuesday afternoon for his flagrant foul that sent Portland's Rudy Fernandez to the hospital Monday night with a bruised chest and a right hip pointer. But teammate Lamar Odom drew a one-game suspension without pay for leaving the bench area during the ensuing altercation between Ariza and several members of the Trail Blazers after Fernandez crashed heavily to the court. Odom will sit out tonight's game against the Houston Rockets. He will rejoin the Lakers for Thursday's game against the San Antonio Spurs. Fernandez was released Tuesday from a Portland-area hospital. He was injured after Ariza fouled him on a layup ..."

Odom suspended for one game by the NBA

Comment

March 11

Los Angeles Times

"Already reeling from their worst loss of the season in Portland on Monday, the Lakers suffered another blow Tuesday when the NBA suspended Lamar Odom for one game without pay for leaving the bench area during a scuffle in the third quarter. Odom will miss tonight's game against the Houston Rockets and the suspension will cost him about $104,000. Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, ruled Odom had left the "immediate vicinity" of the bench after teammate Trevor Ariza's flagrant foul on Portland guard Rudy Fernandez, which led to the skirmish. Odom wasn't available for comment. The Lakers didn't practice after flying here from Portland on Tuesday ..."

Lakers' Odom takes blame for Gentry's firing as Clippers coach

Comment

February 26

L.A. Daily News

"Lakers forward takes responsibility for coach's dismissal while both were with Clippers. He was young and dumb, making mistakes while learning on the job. Now he's older and wiser, looking back and feeling a hint of regret. Lamar Odom said Wednesday he felt responsible for Alvin Gentry's firing as coach of the Clippers near the end of the 2002-03 season. Odom also said seeing Gentry get another chance to be a head coach in the NBA put him in a reflective mood. Odom and the league-leading Lakers (47-10) play host to Gentry and the Phoenix Suns (32-24) tonight, offering each man a chance to show how far he has come since their whirlwind days together with the Clippers earlier in this decade. ..."

Odom shows he can still develop

Comment

February 23

Orange County Register

columnist Kevin Ding

"The reason Lamar Odom writes those names on his sneakers before every game is to remember his dearly departed: his mother when he was 12, his grandmother when he was 20, his infant son when he was 26. He's making 'em proud now. If the message is that he remembers all that they gave before their time came, Odom is right on it. Odom is seizing his days now and filling them with admirable personal development. Even though this is the year he will turn 30, Odom is showing that you don't have to be as young as Andrew Bynum to make substantial upgrades in your game. Odom is rebounding like crazy, for sure, and he's got a dreamy eye on a 30-rebound game before the season's done. And he is, as ..."

Odom's play keeps improving

Comment

February 23

Los Angeles Times

"Lamar Odom stared at his left leg before Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. There was a knot below the kneecap that verged on golf-ball size, the result of a "battle in the trenches" he called it, probably from the Lakers' game against New Orleans a couple of days earlier, though he wasn't quite sure. Then he went out, scored 25 points and took 14 rebounds, his sixth double-double in the last seven games, his knot to be forgotten against the size-challenged Timberwolves. "I feel pretty comfortable right now," he said, in case his play hadn't demonstrated it. Odom has increased his aggressiveness with drives to the basket but has also worked on his finesse game. The extra ..."

When Lakers' Bynum goes down, Gasol and Odom step up

Comment

February 18

Los Angeles Times

"Both recognize what's at stake and what the Lakers need from them. Both know they have to step into a huge void left when Lakers' center Andrew Bynum went down with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. As they have since Bynum was injured Jan. 31 against Memphis, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom continue to deliver in a big way for the Lakers. With the spotlight on them again, Gasol and Odom shined, combining for 27 points on 12-for-21 shooting, 33 rebounds, 15 assists and four blocked shots in the Lakers' 96-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at Staples Center. "We play good basketball together off each other," Odom said. "You don't see too many guys in the ..."