Lamar Odom was found on Tuesday night unconscious at a Nevada brothel after a reported overdose and is now in critical condition and fighting for his life. Odom has had struggles with drugs in the past and it appears those issues have reared their ugly head again. On Wednesday morning though it was reported that Odom had been working extremely hard this summer on making a comeback to the NBA and even had interest from the New York Knicks, according to TMZ.
Odom hasn't played in the NBA since 2013 when he played in 82 games with the Los Angeles Clippers but he was reportedly extremely serious about making a comeback. Odom hired a trainer, Fareed Samad, who was working with Odom since June and says that he was doing extremely well with his training and that a comeback seemed very possible.
Samad said that Odom had lost 35 pounds and that they were in talks with the Knicks about a possible return. Talks with the Knicks aren't too surprising as Phil Jackson was a big Lamar Odom fan when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2004-2011 while Jackson was the head coach. Odom's training reportedly included two-a-day sessions which proved to Samad just how serious he was about a return.
Samad did also say that he hadn't spoken to Odom in four days which makes sense now that we know he was found in a Nevada brothel having overdosed. When Odom was found unconscious he reportedly was taking a lot of "herbal Viagra" but there weren't drugs found in his room, according to Tracy Connor of NBC News. Odom's ex-wife Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian have reportedly all been with Odom the whole time and former teammate Kobe Bryant has also reportedly been there to support his friend.
Odom is 35 years old and his heart is reportedly failing while his kidneys and lungs are also a major concern. The former number four overall pick had a 14 year career that is almost certainly over now but during his time in the NBA he was one of the best and most unique players in the league. The 6 foot-10 forward had career averages of 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
