Lamar Odom

 Lamar Joseph Odom, born on the 6th of November 1979 was an American professional basketball player who played professionally for a time. As a player with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he won championships in 2010 and 2009 and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011.In high school, Odom received national player of the year awards from the Parade in 1997. Odom was a college basketball player at the University of Rhode Island and received all-conference honors during his first season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He then went on to become an elite basketball player. Odom was the fourth overall pick of the 1999 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in the following year. It was during his four seasons with the Clippers however that he twice was suspended for breaking the league's anti-drug policy. Odom was an restricted-free agent for the Miami Heat and played the 2003-04 season before being transferred to the Los Angeles Clippers. Odom played for seven seasons with the Lakers before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Following the trade the team's career deteriorated. His career declined after he was traded to the Clippers in 2012. He also played briefly in Spain in 2014. Odom was married to Khloe Kardashian in 2009 and 2016. During their marriage, Odom made several appearances on the reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. He as well as Kardashian also hosted their own reality show, Khloe & Lamar. Odom was found unconscious in an Nevada brothel and was later transported to a hospital where he was in a coma. He later sought treatment for alcohol and drug addiction. lifeOdom was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City, to Joe Odom and Cathy Mercer. His father was addicted to heroin. His mother passed away from colon cancer when he was just 12 years old. The report says that his mother said to Odom on her deathbed "Be kind to everyone." "[88 Odom was then taken care of by his maternal grandmother, Mildred Mercer.In the first three years of high school, Odom played for Christ the King Regional High School located in Middle Village, Queens. Odom left the school in his senior year due to poor grades. [9] Then he was transferred to Redemption Christian Academy, Troy, New York and then to St. Thomas Aquinas High School, New Britain, Connecticut. Jerry DeGregorio was his coach. Odom was the Parade Player of the year 1997, as a senior. Other accolades and awards, he was awarded USA Today All-USA First Team recognition[12] and was selected to the Parade All-American First Team for the second consecutive year While still in high school, Odom was on the same team in the AAU as future NBA teammates Elton Brand and Ron Artest (later known as Metta World Peace); He also participated in the Adidas ABCD Camp alongside Kobe Bryant, who would later become a Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant. 5. Adidas Executive Sonny Vaccaro commented at the time that Odom possessed an "$2 million smile throughout his college career." Though Odom was contemplating making the jump to the NBA directly out of high school and consulted Kobe Bryant as a player who made that leap, Odom ultimately decided that his skills were not up to par and enrolled at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas instead. However an Sports Illustrated story questioning the validity of the ACT score, as well as an arrest for soliciting prostitution gave the school with sufficient evidence to remove his scholarship and for this reason Odom was never a part of the Runnin Rebels. [16] Further embarrassment for the school was when an NCAA investigation found that Odom was paid $5,600 in shady payments.[17] UNLV was put on probation for four years, and Coach Bill Bayno was fired. Odom was transferred to University of Rhode Island with his accommodation and room paid for by his father through the G.I. Bill. Odom did not have matriculation and therefore had to leave the 1997-98 season. After two years and a summer session, however, Odom earned his eligibility to play intramural basketball. Odom's playing career at Rhode Island was in jeopardy following his loss to his final game. But, coach Jim Harrick convinced three of his four teachers that he would continue his work. Odom was also permitted to work with DeGregorio who had been previously a Rams assistant. He became the player's closest friend in college. Odom also took inspiration from the example of his maternal grandmother, a nurse who had raised five children and returned back to school to complete her bachelor's degree in 1980 at the age of 56. [Odom played one season (1998-99) with Rhode Island, during which he averaged 17.6 points per game. He helped lead the Rams to the championship of the conference. 20) He was awarded First Team All-Conference honors, and was named Atlantic 10 Rookie-of-the-Year. After his three-point shot against Temple at the end of the game, he was named the most important Atlantic 10 player.