The rise before the fall of Lamar Odom - Khloé & Lamar is the third spin-off of the show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The show is scheduled to return for its second season on February 19, 2012. - E! Entertainment Television - (photo) SPORTS CONFLICT - LAMAR ODOM

Video Beat - LAMAR ODOM WENT HOLLYWEIRD

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Following the Khloé & Lamar TV series début on April 10, 2011, I wrote a two part column in December 2011 titled CELEBRITY vs. SPORTS CONFLICTS - DAVID BECKHAM & LAMAR ODOM. In the column I noted: when they say you can't mix oil and water to some sports purists that could mean that an athlete should focus on the sport he is being paid for and not spread themselves too thin by being involved in the entertainment business. Presently former NBA player and reality television star Lamar Odom reflects that opinion

Monday, October 19, 2015

DOWN BUT NOT OUT

In the entertainment and sports businesses it repeats over and over again how athletes get involved with the Hollyweird crowd and both groups are enticed by drugs. It's the fame and excitement of being surrounded by the opposite attraction of athletes and entertainers as one feeds off the other.

Hollyweird is a term that I created around 1990 which depicts the phony and drug infested atmosphere that exists in the entertainment capitol of the world aka Hollyweird. At that time it was the behaviors of the Los Angeles Lakers team of the NBA that attracted my attention.

The recent tragic events of former NBA star Lamar Odom is a major illustration of an athlete that got caught up in the Hollyweird game. Recently he made the news by being found in a Nevada brothel in an unconscious state that led to a coma. It is believed that he succumbed to a cocktail of drugs and alcohol. During his success as a member of a two time NBA title winning teams (2009-2010) with the Los Angeles Lakers he became more popular with the Hollyweird crowd. Following a short courtship he married Khloe Kardashian one of the daughters of the renowned Kardashian family.

In September 2009, Odom married Khloé Kardashian. Their wedding was featured on the E! reality-based series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which Khloé stars in and with Odom appearing in a handful of episodes.

On December 29, 2010, E! announced that it was planning another spin-off from the series featuring Lamar, Khloé and his two children from a previous relationship. The new series, titled Khloé & Lamar, debuted on April 10, 2011, but was canceled in 2012 after just two seasons.

On December 11, 2011, Odom was traded away from Hollyweird to the Dallas Mavericks which raised questions how could he be involved in a TV show while living in Dallas? As it played out he couldn't. The eventual result was the shows cancellation.

During that time Odom's relationship with Khloe started to unravel. They were separated since he was based in Dallas and the TV show wan in Hollyweird. Odom also had problems fitting in with the Mavericks and had disputes with its owner Mark Cuban. He eventually returned to Hollyweird and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers agreeing to a deal on June 29, 2012.

In July 2013, Odom became a free agent but did not land an NBA contract despite some interest from the Clippers in his return. The emotional baggage that he was carrying from tragedies in his life began to take its toll.

Those tragedies included the death of his 6½-month-old son Jayden who died from SIDS while sleeping in his crib. Odon's mother died of colon cancer when he was twelve years old. Odom also had an issue with his father who was a heroin addict who abandoned him when he was a child.

On August 30, 2013, Odom was arrested on charges of driving under the influence. On December 9, 2013, Odom pleaded no contest to the charge and accepted a sentence of three years' probation and three months of alcohol abuse treatment.

Prior to his passing out at the brothel this month reports have noted that he commented to others at the location that an episode of the TV series, that was airing at the time he was there, upset him. It was reported that he commented how he was annoyed about how he was being depicted in the series and that he had no control of how his image was portrayed.

Following the Khloé & Lamar TV series début on April 10, 2011, I wrote a two part column in December 2011 titled CELEBRITY vs. SPORTS CONFLICTS - DAVID BECKHAM & LAMAR ODOM. In the column I noted: when they say you can't mix oil and water to some sports purists that could mean that an athlete should focus on the sport he is being paid for and not spread themselves too thin by being involved in the entertainment business. Some athletes, intentionally or not, get caught up in being a celebrity through association or marriage. David Beckham and the now former Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom qualify.

The column was pertinent since from that point Odom's life began to unravel. As the facts are currently being revealed it was his history in being involved with drugs that eventually caught up with him but his drug record preceded his Hollyweird TV experience.

In the 2001-2002 season, Odom was suspended for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy for the second time in eight months. It has been said that Odom's suspension fits the punishment for use of marijuana, which is not subject to the NBA's harsher "Drugs of Abuse" rules. Around the time of the incident, he admitted to smoking marijuana. Odom only played 29 games during the season, and his production slipped.

Odom was a highly respected but troubled athlete. He moved five times from team to team including twice with the Clippers, which often indicates that the athlete is a problem. In contrast since he has been in a coma in a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada many in the sports world have praised him to be a fine individual and that he has had a tough life filled with demons.

The now 35-year-old Odom has had a productive NBA career. He was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 and won the 2009 and 2010 NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.

One of those that praised him was former Lakers teammate Meta World Peace aka Ron Artest. The two were childhood friends that played on the same team during their high school days. Peace commented on CNN's Tonight with Don Lemon show that Hollywood and the TV show were not good foe Odom. He also pointed out that Khloe was a good person.

Since Odom entered the league in 1999, after being drafted in the first round with the fourth overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers Odom has made an impact in the league. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team and played four seasons with the Clippers before signing with the Miami Heat as a free agent after leaving the Clippers in 2013 with his cloudy history during his 2nd stint with the club the beginning of his unfortunate downfall was on.

On February 18, 2014, Odom signed with Laboral Kutxa of the Spanish ACB League on a two-month deal with an option to extend it for the remainder of the season. A month later, he returned to the United States due to a back injury as Odom's personal doctors in New York ruled him unfit to play out his contract. He played just two games for Laboral.

On April 16, 2014, Odom signed with the New York Knicks for the remainder of the 2013-14 season, but did not appear in their season finale. The Knicks finished 37-45 and missed the playoffs. On July 11, 2014, he was waived by the Knicks whose president was his former coach during his glory days with the Lakers...Phil Jackson.

At this point Odom is said to have been close to death but recently has shown signs of improvement. Odom is currently down but not out and Hollyweird and the Kardashians live on.

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