Lamar Odom on 2011 trade from Lakers: It ‘basically ended my career and purpose’

Lamar Odom is through the worst six years of his life. In a sitdown interview with The Vertical’s Shams Charania, Odom clearly conveys that and how he’s finally on the road to recovery.

The 37-year-old former NBA star is starting to put his life back together after a terrible few years of drug addiction that reached a breaking point in a Las Vegas brothel. That was 2015, where Odom overdosed on drugs, suffered multiple strokes and kidney failure, and was kept alive only by life support before ultimately bouncing back.

The downhill path started with Odom’s 2011 trade from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Dallas Mavericks, he revealed:

“That trade from the Lakers basically ended my career and purpose,” Odom told The Vertical. “I was never really myself ever again. Being in L.A., the structure, the people I knew, it hurt leaving. I had great memories with the Lakers, with Kobe and Pau. That was a special time in my life.

“I got traded the season after we lost to Dallas in the playoffs, and I had won Sixth Man of the Year for the team. To trade me after winning Sixth Man of the Year … what else do I got to do? Why?

Odom may sign a one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the Lakers during the team’s upcoming training camp, according to Charania. However, Odom lives with the regrets that he ruined any chance that he could still be playing, even today:

“My family looks forward to me retiring as a Laker more than me,” Odom told The Vertical. “I’m not really emotional about being praised, about signing for a day. I’m shy at the end of the day. For my son, for my family, for my fans, they may enjoy that day. It’s for them.

“I ain’t celebrating not playing no more. In life though, I’ve learned to live with regrets.”

Odom also had regrets with how his one season with the Mavericks worked out, which eventually ended late in the regular season when Dallas kicked Odom off the team. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told The Vertical that he harbored no hard feelings toward Odom, especially in the wake of his struggles, understanding what he went through. Odom, whose cousin had died that summer, had also told Cuban before the trade even happened that he wasn’t in the best emotional state:

“It’s too bad that it didn’t work out there because I really could have flourished with Dirk Nowitzki. I could have taken advantage of his skills and my skills. It’s too bad that I wasn’t at the top of my game mentally or physically. I couldn’t perform.”

Though Odom was offered a coaching job with the Lakers, he may take more time to keep improving his own life before venturing into a new gig like that. Still, the ex-Laker star and two-time champion has gotten through five tough years, and that clearly shines during his interview. Be sure to read the full story.