Lamar Odom: How Former Star Can Turn Declining Career Around
Lamar Odom has exited an NBA season in awful fashion for a second consecutive season…and both times were in Dallas.
Last year, he was ejected in the season-ending loss in to the Dallas Mavericks for two technical fouls; this year, he was essentially ejected by his owner.
After getting into a verbal spat with Mark Cuban, Odom was placed on the inactive list for the remainder of the season. Now, there are rumors that his marriage with Khloe Kardashian is in jeopardy because of this whole ordeal.
With the Mavs expected to exercise the $2.4 million buyout making him a free agent, Odom has one loooong summer to get his life and career back on track. Here are a few suggestions.
Quit the Reality Show
Ever since E! started following Odom and Khloe around, his focus has dropped off a cliff. He was a potential All-Star, then the camera crew rolled in during the middle of the season, and there has been a sharp dip in production ever since.
It’s a major distraction that his wife talked him into. He doesn’t need the forced drama in his life right now.
Remember All of the Negativity
Players love to use haters as the fuel to light their fire, and Odom now has plenty of it.
Charles Barkley said the Mavs shouldn’t have to pay Odom the remainder of his salary. Other talking heads from around the country have echoed similar sentiments. It’s a popular thing to do right now, and hopefully, Odom is DVR’ing all of it.
If Odom has any competitive spirit left in him, this is how he recaptures it.
Sign With Miami Heat
After the antics he pulled this past season, the asking price for Odom is not nearly as high as it used to be. Landing the 11-year veteran for somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 to $4 million a year sounds about right.
This is perfect for a Heat team that's constantly strapped financially because of the big three. Mike Miller has been a disaster in his tenure with the Heat, and Shane Battier is no longer hitting the corner three like he used to.
Odom’s versatility is exactly what the team needs as he can be everything from a knockdown three-point shooter to a defensive-rebounding specialist.
With the way things are going right now, Odom doesn’t need to go back to Los Angeles. He needs a fresh slate and what better way to do so than by going back to a team he played for during the 2003-04 season.
That was the season where he averaged a career-high 17.1 points per game. Time to recapture that magic and head to South Beach with championship aspirations. The critics would be silenced rather quickly, and his celebrity status would take a backseat to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
This is the dream scenario for the 32-year-old as he repairs his career and image.
