Sports newscaster Scott Van Pelt wants everyone to know that Lamar Odom is more than just a "Kardashian reality star," SB Nation reported. Van Pelt gave an impassioned speech during the broadcast of his ESPN show "SportsCenter" about how the former NBA star has been referred to in the media as he fights for his life while under a medically induced coma after he was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel on Tuesday afternoon.
Van Pelt referenced a tweet from rapper Bun B that featured a screenshot of HLN network journalist Nancy Grace. She interviewed Dennis Hof, the owner of Dennis Hof's Love Ranch, the legal brothel in Crystal, Nev., where Odom was found.
During Grace's interview, the network aired footage of Odom from an episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," an E! series that he appeared on with his now-estranged wife, reality star Khloé Kardashian. The name of Grace's report was titled "Kardashian Reality Star In Coma."
"Kardashian reality star? No, no, no, no," Van Pelt said. "Lamar Odom, unlike those for whom fame is oxygen, whose fame comes in the absence of accomplishment, his fame was earned: as Sixth Man of the Year, as a multiple NBA champion, as the result of his significant role with the Los Angeles Lakers teams and being a beloved NBA teammate and peer."
Van Pelt continued to praise Odom for his character and his accomplishments and touched on the troubled life he led while he was off the court.
"I understand not everyone watches sports, but 'Kardashian reality star?'" Van Pelt said, bringing his point home. "His name is Lamar Odom, and we knew it, long before he got married on a TV show that we don't watch. "
Watch the full clip below.
