Los Angeles Lakers: Lamar Odom Is one of the best role players ever

Let’s take a look back to appreciate just how good of a role player Lamar Odom was for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had some big names throughout their franchise history, guys like Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant. One player who will go under-appreciated in Lakers history is Lamar Odom.

Odom is not only one of the more gifted power forwards the Lakers have ever had, but one of the best role players in league history. While it seems a bit strange to call Odom a “role player” due to his ability to change the game, that’s what he was. The difference being that he was so great at being one that he played at a star level many nights.

Odom came to the Lakers in the huge Shaq trade alongside Caron Butler and Brian Grant.

LO was simply a mismatch and one of the first true ones. Nowadays we have 6″10-6″11 forwards like KD and Giannis who can handle the ball like guards. When Odom was playing he was one of the only 6″10 forwards playing point while playing power forward. He was the true meaning of versatility. Odom was able to handle it, pass it, shoot it, and go to the basket.

His numbers don’t tell the story. He was a huge reason the Lakers had success. Odom was a key component to two NBA championships for Los Angeles. The Lakers had a dominant three-year run, winning two titles in that stretch, and Odom was in the center of it.

Odom was never an All-Star, strangely enough, but played like one many nights. In those two championship seasons he averaged roughly 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. He did this while coming off the bench in most of those games.

Without his big play in some series like the 2009 quarterfinals against Utah who knows if the Lakers would’ve had enough to win it all. In that series he averaged 17.8 points and 11 rebounds. His play gave Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur trouble all series.

Sure Odom could’ve averaged closer to 20 points throughout his career if he really wanted to, but he sacrificed for the greater of his team. He did that even with the Clippers and the Heat.

Before joining the Lakers he averaged 17 points multiple times cause he had to. When he got to the Lakers he didn’t need to. He had Kobe taking over the scoring each night, and they had Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum down the road also.

Odom was rewarded for his stellar bench play in 2011 when he won Sixth Man of the Year. That season he averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

That award was the only individual one of his career in the NBA but it signifies everything he was. A team player that contributed in every way possible despite being better than most of the starters. (He also got All-Rookie First Team, but you get the point).

Lamar Odom will go down as one of the most beloved players in Lakers history and he’s as talented as any non Hall-of-Famer that they’ve had.