Lamar Odom: Can Odom Focus On LA Lakers and Reality TV Show All At Once?
The E! Network will begin work on a reality show, tentatively called "Khloe & Lamar," that follows the lives of Los Angeles Lakers' forward Lamar Odom and wife Khloe Kardashian.
Add one more event to the circus that is the Los Angeles Lakers. Odom, one of the best and most versatile forwards in the NBA, will have to balance his play with his new Hollywood endeavor. Whether he can do it remains to be seen.
Here are some reasons why yes, he can and why no, he can't.
Odom Is Already in Los Angeles
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If Hollywood hasn't already affected Lamar Odom, then it probably won't. Odom has spent 11 seasons in Los Angeles (four with the Clippers) and hasn't had any Hollywood distractions derail his play yet.
This isn't Oklahoma City or Cleveland or any other small town that his limited ways to get sidetracked. This is Los Angeles, a fountain of frenzy, and it hasn't fazed Odom once. He also spent one season in Miami, maybe the second most distracting city in the NBA, and handled it well.
Talk Of "Khloe & Lamar" Has Already Infiltrated Interviews
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As soon as the press got its hands on this story, it has been badgering Lamar, his teammates and coach Phil Jackson about whether or not the new reality show will be a distraction. Considering the amount of time already spent speculating how it will affect Odom's play, isn't it already a distraction?
Odom and Jackson have vowed against the show affecting Odom's play. But that won't stop people from talking about that possibility.
Any Distraction Can Take Heat Off Of Teammates
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Odom seems capable of handling extra attention. And if Odom attracting more press means less attention paid to suspected spats between Phil Jackson and players Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest, that could be better for the Lakers.
There has been a lot of news about tensions running high within the Lakers during their current lull. Odom can turn some attention his way while the team gets back on track.
How Far Into The Laker Doings Will The Filming Delve?
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Undoubtedly, E! will want to explore Odom's work life. How far will the Lakers allow the network to probe? Will it try to film practices? Will it cause rifts with overt speculation and by starting the rumor mill?
E! will try to dig up something from a Lakers practice for a dramatic cutaway at some point. The result of it could be detrimental to Odom's relationships with coaches and teammates.
Andrew Bynum's Health Takes The Pressure Off of Odom
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The oft-injured Andrew Bynum finally seems to be healthy for Los Angeles. If he can remain healthy, it lessens the production demands of Odom, who has been forced into a power forward position with Bynum out.
With Bynum's minutes up and Pao Gasol playing well at center, Odom's burden is lightened. That puts less on his plate in basketball, allowing him to more easily take on the reality show.
Teammates Guest Starring on Show Could Cause Problems
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As much as Odom's teammates can help him on the court, they could hurt him equally on "Khloe & Lamar." E! is surely drooling over the opportunity to get Kobe Bryant on the show. Bryant will have no problem acting properly on the show.
Ron Artest, however, is a reality show time bomb waiting to blow. How exactly Artest can bring Odom down with an appearance on is show is unknown, but it could definitely happen.
Odom Can Look to Kobe Bryant For Advice
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Kobe Bryant knows something about juggling playing basketball with off-the-court distractions. Maneuvering public adultery and a court case for rape charges were Bryant's unenviable tasks during the 2003-04 season.
If Odom's reality show ever does start to affect him, he can turn to Bryant for advice on how to handle it. With massive distraction, Bryant averaged 24 points per game in 2003-04.
The Kardashians Feed Off of Drama
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The debate between reality and script rages on when discussing reality TV. No matter what is real and what is fake, it is clear the Khloe Kardashian and sister Kim love themselves some drama. How dicey things gets on "Khloe & Lamar" remains to be seen, but there will surely be some awkward moments.
Odom will have to deal with those awkward moments publicly, as every facet of the show will be dissected and then applied to any poor stretch of play on his part.
Phil Jackson Is The Ultimate Manipulator
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If Lamar Odom starts playing poorly, leave it to coach Phil Jackson to drop a snide quote in the newspaper tying the poor performance loosely to Odom's participation on the reality show. Jackson is known for manipulating distracting situations to help his team.
He's quick to comment wryly on anything controversial in the NBA to cause further dysfunction. When it comes to his own team, however, Jackson's pot-stirring always seems to have a positive effect.
Odom Will Hear Trash Talk About His Show With Khloe
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The NBA is known for its incessant trash talk. Some of the best in that art form, including Kevin Garnett, match up with Odom quite often during games. "Khloe & Lamar" is gifted ammunition for trash-talkers.
Don't rule out trash-talking from Odom's teammates, either. There's plenty of razzing to go around in the locker room and the new reality show will not be off limits.
Conclusion: "Khloe & Lamar" Has Potential to Affect Odom
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Athletes have participated in reality shows in the past with mixed results. It's Odom's turn to try his hand at balancing basketball with Hollywood.
There are plenty of pitfalls, but in the end, Odom is tasked with playing basketball and having his life filmed while being fed some lines. It's not that big of a change. The show shouldn't affect Odom's play, but that won't stop any reporter from asking if it is or any fan from saying that it does.
