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Los Angeles Lakers: Lamar Odom discusses trade away from team

By Kenneth Teape

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 26: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with Lamar Odom #7 in the third quarter while taking on the New Orleans Hornets in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 26: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with Lamar Odom #7 in the third quarter while taking on the New Orleans Hornets in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Former Los Angeles Lakers sixth man Lamar Odom recently spoke about being traded away from the team and how it essentially ended his career.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the greatest franchises not only in the NBA but in any sport. Just take a look at the All-Time roster for the Lakers in NBA 2K18 for a glimpse at how great they have been.

There is no denying the amount of talent on that roster. However, there are a number of players that did not make the cut that could have. One of those players is Lamar Odom.

Odom was a dominant force on both ends of the court. Standing 6-feet-10 inches tall, Odom had a distinct advantage essentially every time he stepped on the court. He was a point forward and as unselfish as they come. Defensively, he could play all five positions and was an excellent rebounder.

Odom was a matchup nightmare for opponents. No matter what an opponent did, Odom had an answer for it. Despite being naturally talented, it took Odom some time to really tap into that potential.

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Odom was selected No. 4 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1999. Odom discussed how he essentially took himself out of the running for the No. 1 pick in an article on The Vertical with Shams Charania.

Odom underachieved with the Clippers in terms of wins and losses. It was not until he joined the Miami Heat as a free agent that he truly began taking his craft seriously.

"“In Miami, if you don’t go hard, you can’t play there. That’s why I respect their program and their tradition and their style of basketball even to this day, even though they didn’t make it to the playoffs last year. Because I played there and I understand them, I can still watch them. I know what they’re going through in practice. They’re getting pushed to the limit. So if you have talent and you go to Miami, it’s going to come out and be maximized.“We had [Dwyane] Wade, Caron [Butler], Eddie Jones, Rasual Butler, Rafer Alston, Brian Grant. We had a good nucleus. We had a gritty team, blue-collar. I took the Heat philosophy for my whole career. When I watch basketball now, I watch it through the eyes of somebody that played for the Heat.”"

That culture the Heat instilled in him he took over to the Lakers. Odom played one season with the Heat before being traded to Los Angeles. The Lakers had an excellent support group in place, so Odom found plenty of success mixing that with what he learned in Maimi.

Odom was an integral part of two championship teams with the Lakers. Odom played as the sixth man on those Lakers teams. He took home the Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2010-11 season. Unfortunately for Odom and the Lakers, his award winning season didn’t result in much postseason success.

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Los Angeles Lakers /

Los Angeles Lakers

After winning two consecutive NBA Championships, the Lakers were bounced in the second round of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks after the 2010-11 season. According to Odom, that is essentially when his NBA career ended.

Odom would be traded away from the Lakers to the Mavericks that offseason. It was a move that left Odom dumbfounded. He was unsure why he was traded away from the Lakers, adding that it eventually ended all his purpose for playing.

"“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 made plenty of sacrifices to stay with the Lakers. In the article, he mentioned how the Portland Trail Blazers came after him aggressively in free agency. However, he decided to stay with the Lakers because he wanted to win, much like we saw Andre Iguodala do this offseason with the Golden State Warriors.

Odom’s off court troubles have been well documented. His heavy drug use was made very public in 2015 when he almost lost his life because of an overdose in a Las Vegas brothel. Odom suffered multiple strokes, kidney failure, was in a coma and on life support.

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It was a frightening time for Odom, one that he is working his way back from. Could things have gone differently had the Lakers not traded him to the Mavericks? It is something we will never know, but it is good to see that Odom is doing better now and looks to have gotten his life back on track after some very dark times.

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