Last night, the Denver Broncos embarrassed the defending Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens, in an exhilarating NFL season opener, and finally, football is back. Sundays can now be dedicated to lying on your couch all day, eating pizza, and screaming at the TV with your friends. Before football returned however, my friends and I still met on the couch every Sunday night, eagerly awaiting a new episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
While I personally favor Kourtney Kardashian and her dry, monotone voice, most of my friends would argue that Khloé has the best sense of humor. Known for her huge personality and the tendency to speak her mind, Khloe Kardashian has become arguably the most beloved family member. And those who love Khloé tend to love her hubby of nearly four years, Lamar Odom.
Khloe and Lamar shocked Hollywood when they decided to get married after only knowing each other for three weeks. America watched in awe as these two lovebirds seemed to prove all of the haters wrong. They appeared to have a solid marriage full of love and respect, until rumors regarding Lamar’s fidelity and alleged drug use began to swirl in the last few weeks.
The NBA player, 33, checked into a rehabilitation center on Wednesday night after reported drug use and a DUI. According to People Magazine, the basketball star has already checked out of the center. Unfortunately, these are not the first tribulations that Lamar has faced in his life. His mom died when he was young, his father dealt with his own drug problems, and he was raised by his grandmother. Later in life, he had a son who died as an infant. It seemed as if he had finally found solace in his basketball career.
Lamar flourished on the LA Lakers and averaged 15 points a game in his prime. It was only two years ago that he won Sixth Man of the Year. He was an extremely valued player and helped the Lakers win two championships in 2009 and 2010. While the media is dialing in on Odom’s relationship with Kardashian, the sports world is left wondering what will happen to his NBA career.
After being traded from the Lakers, Odom had a stint in Dallas in 2011 that ended early. Mentally, he was not present, and his game play went down hill from there. This past year with the LA Clippers, he was averaging a measly 6 points per game. He was released by the Clippers at the end of the season and is currently a free agent. At this point it is hard to say whether or not any team will be willing to take on a player with so many personal problems who is not performing nearly to his potential. For many teams, signing Lamar Odom would only mean drama and unwanted attention, with little in return.
If Lamar can manage to deal with his problems over the next year, there is still a possibility that he could be an asset to a team. Lamar’s mental state and his battles with different demons seem to be keeping him from tapping into the skills that we all know he has. Many who know and love Lamar have said that he’s an all around good guy, dealing with some problems, and deserving of another chance.
Former Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro told the Los Angeles Times, “Lamar can still play … It’s not the basketball skills that are the problem. Once he gets himself in shape and gets his mind wrapped around basketball, he can help [a team].”
Hopefully, Lamar Odom will receive the help he needs, deal with his problems head on, and receive a spot on an NBA team sometime in the future. At the rate things are going down hill for him however, it’s looking like that chance may never come.