When it comes to speaking about his addiction to drugs, Lamar Odom keeps it all the way real. The two-time NBA champion and former Los Angeles Lakers star has been an open book about his drug use and how it transformed his life in ways that he never could imagine.
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Continuing his candid approach, Odom delves even deeper into the addiction that changed the trajectory of his NBA career and almost took his life in the next installment of Netflix’s “Untold.” The documentary, “The Death and Life of Lamar Odom,” is set to premiere on March 31 and chronicles his 2015 overdose. It features interviews with Odom, his ex-wife Khloé Kardashian, and several others close to him during that near-fatal event.
Ahead of the documentary’s release, Odom shared even more about his journey by appearing on Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter’s “Cousins” podcast, where he unleashed some brutal truths about his drug addiction. Here are Lamar Odom’s 5 Wildest Revelations About His Drug Addiction.
The Passing Of His Mother Was Damaging
During the conversation, McGrady asked Odom,”’ Where do you think you went off the rails with your decision making?” Odom answered that his struggles began when he started smoking marijuana at age 14, shortly after his mother’s passing.
“My mom died when I was 12 years old. So when your moms die, and you’re in New York City, it’s tough,” Odom said. “Good thing I was protected by my neighborhood. They lived in the same neighborhood since 1957, so I don’t think nobody would let me turn to drugs or shooting a gun, but you’re gonna explore when you don’t have your mom anymore.”
His Father Was Addicted To Heroin
Lamar’s childhood was largely shaped by his father Joe Odom’s long-standing battle with heroin addiction and his absence from his life. Odom often spoke candidly about witnessing his father’s addiction and how it parallels his own struggles with drugs.
“My father was a heroin addict,” Odom said. “If you start with pot and it doesn’t get you high no more, you’re like, maybe ‘I’ll try cocaine.’”
“Cocaine Summers” Ruined His Chance To Be a Basketball Hall of Famer
Without question, Odom was one of the most uniquely gifted and skillful players of his era. Standing 6-foot-10, O’Dom was a versatile playmaker who possessed the ball-handling and court vision of a guard in a big man’s body. While he had a great career, he believed that his drug addictions kept him from reaching his peak potential and being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
“I loved drugs. You’re talking to a real addict,” Odom said. “Summertime I did drugs I ain’t gonna front… I had some great cocaine summers… I should be where you’re at in the hall of fame. Off of straight talent.”
He Only Used Drugs During The Offseason
While he was a full-blown addict, Odom revealed that he never got high during the season. Odom’s rationale for not using drugs was because of the league’s drug policy and his fear of being.
“Nah… Summertime I did though,” Odom said after being asked if he used drugs during the season. “I ain’t gonna front. You get drug tested like four times. If you get caught for sniffing cocaine, that suspension is gonna be crazy…That was my way of beating the system. Just partying hard during the summertime.”
He Claims He Was Poisoned At The Brothel In Nevada
Following his near-death experience at the Nevada brothel, Odom suffered kidney failure, a series of heart attacks, and 12 strokes. He was also placed on life support before miraculously pulling through. During the conversation, Odom maintained that he was poisoned on that fateful night, which led to his medical emergency.
“I remember because I was mad as f***,’ Odom said. “I didn’t have any cocaine. I just signed divorce papers with my wife [Khloe Kardashian].’
After sitting on the side of the bed, the next thing Odom remembered was waking up several days later in the hospital.
“I woke up three days later, man,’ Odom said. ‘That’s all I remember.”
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