Is he the key to this unique Laker team?
Yes is the obvious answer to both these questions.
Lamar Odom was born into a rough life on the streets of Queen's, New York. As a kid he grew up barely knowing his parents. His father was a heroin addict and his mother sadly died of colon cancer when he was 12-years old. He grew up knowing his grandmother Mildred and playing basketball.
Most 12-year old's would have probably got into trouble to try and cope for their losses but Lamar had a way out. Luckily Lamar was blessed with a strong healthy body standing at 6'10" and flying across the court like an eagle. His love for the game and his God-given ability allowed him to grow up and get out of the tough life he once lived.
Imagine yourself living in a life of luxury and fame when your old home town was filled with gangs and criminals and a dead end lifestyle. Lamar Odom is one of the hand-full of players that come from this exact back ground. At one point he was probably living in a one bedroom apartment with a low income and now he is living in Beverley Hill's in a 10 bedroom house with a swimming pool and a basketball court. It's crazy what life has in store for some people.
There may have been a red carpet laid out for Mr. Odom, but it still took dedication and hard work to achieve his ultimate goal: To play in the NBA.
Lamar played for three different high school teams: Christ The King Regional High School, Redemption Christian Academy and lastly St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, Connecticut. He was named to the USA Today All-USA First Team as a senior.
It seemed a though Lamar's life had been a breeze for him in at least the basketball perspective.
Lamar played and attended UNLV in 1997. Lets just say that it wasn't a long visit. Lamar was secretly receiving $5000-$6000 payments from...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers