The Best Sixth Man in The NBA: Lamar Odom

Does Lamar Odom have the best job in the world?

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...

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