I’ve written this before, but I hate Russell Wilson. There’s a personality in there, he just prefers to lie to us so as not to risk a negative headline, a potential sponsor.
That was not Lamar Odom. He let us in. To see how life has treated him is ridiculously unfair. Sure, make the Kardashian jokes. But, with news coming recently he lost his best friend, to join his mother, grandmother and infant child in heaven, how can your heart not feel for this guy?
-== Lakers Draft Evaluations: Comparing Then & Now ==-
According to Us Magazine, Lamar’s best friend, Jamie Sangouthai, died as a result of an alleged overdose and Odom found out while partying himself. The two had apparently hit a rough patch.
"The two had apparently hit a rough patch in their friendship a while back, but Odom is still “super sad,” the source adds. “He feels like it could have happened to him. This is a huge wake-up call for him. It has really shaken him.”"
For whatever reason, we enjoy building up our athletes, only to break them down in remorseless fashion.
“Entertain us not only on the court, field or course. Then do so off it, at your own expense.”
I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Lamar, though everyone who has leaves the interaction with nothing but kind words. Like I said earlier, he’s honest – one of the good ones. And that’s even despite the turns life has taken him through.
Think of the losses he’s had to endure.
Think of your mom. How would your life have gone without her?
(Mom, I love you with all my heart)
If you lost her, and her replacement, your grandmother for example, also passed, leaving you without that strong, female voice in your life.
(I pray to my own long-passed Abuelita. I miss her more than she could ever imagine)
For those of you lucky enough to have children: think of how devastated you would be to walk into their bedroom and find them dead in their crib.
(I don’t, but the grief would be paralyzing, to say the least)
And, as you go through those losses, think of the person you’d lean on most for strength. Sure, you might grow apart or have random fallings out, but imagine life without that person.
(My buddy Steve is traveling this coming weekend, if I found out he didn’t arrive at his destination… I just, I can’t even think of it)
We think of these guys as superhuman, and, in terms of sheer physical gifts, they are. That doesn’t mean they are better-equipped to deal with loss. They’re people. As stupid as it sounds that I might have to remind fans of that fact, it’s true. Athletes are human.
At every turn with Lamar, I hope he gets some lucky break. Sure, he’s made some poor personal decisions, but wouldn’t you, if you went through the losses I listed above? I can’t lie; I teared up simply typing those words.
So, Lamar, even though we’ve never met and probably never will, I’m sending thoughts and prayers from my family to yours. You were a great Laker but that doesn’t matter, even a little. You always struck me as a good person, and one who deserves better than what life has dealt you thus far. Get better, man. Here’s hoping things turn around, and quickly.