Lamar Odom’s Net Worth, Early Life, Career, Bio

Lamar Joseph Odom, born on November 6, 1979, is a retired American professional basketball player. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and achieved remarkable success, winning championships in 2009 and 2010.

Moreover, he was honored as the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 for his exceptional performance off the bench.

Early life

Lamar Odom was born in South Jamaica, Queens New York City to Joe Odom and Cathy Mercer. His childhood was marked by significant challenges including his father’s heroin addiction and his mother’s untimely death from colon cancer when he was just 12 years old. Before she passed away his mother imparted a valuable lesson Be nice to everybody.

Following his mother’s death Odom was taken under the wing of his maternal grandmother Mildred Mercer. In his early years of high school, he played basketball for Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, Queens but his poor grades led to his departure in his senior year.

He subsequently transferred to Redemption Christian Academy in Troy New York and then to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain Connecticut, where he was coached by Jerry DeGregorio.

In 1997 Odom was nationally recognized as the Parade Player of the Year during his senior year. He earned numerous honors and accolades, including USA Today All-USA First Team honors and being named to the Parade All-American First Team for the second consecutive year.

During his high school years, he played on the same AAU team as Elton Brand and Ron Artest who later changed his name to Metta World Peace. He also played alongside Kobe Bryant at the Adidas ABCD Camp, and at the time, Adidas executive Sonny Vaccaro praised Odom’s 2 million dollar smile.

College Career

Lamar Odom was born in South Jamaica Queens New York City to Joe Odom and Cathy Mercer. His childhood was marked by significant challenges including his father’s heroin addiction and his mother’s untimely death from colon cancer when he was just 12 years old.

Before she passed away his mother imparted a valuable lesson Be nice to everybody.

Following his mother’s death Odom was taken under the wing of his maternal grandmother Mildred Mercer. In his early years of high school, he played basketball for Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village Queens but his poor grades led to his departure in his senior year.

He subsequently transferred to Redemption Christian Academy in Troy New York and then to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain Connecticut, where he was coached by Jerry DeGregorio.

In 1997 Odom was nationally recognized as the Parade Player of the Year during his senior year. He earned numerous honors and accolades, including USA Today All-USA First Team honors and being named to the Parade All-American First Team for the second consecutive year.

During his high school years, he played on the same AAU team as Elton Brand and Ron Artest who later changed his name to Metta World Peace. He also played alongside Kobe Bryant at the Adidas ABCD Camp, and at the time, Adidas executive Sonny Vaccaro praised Odom’s 2 million dollar smile.

Professional Career

Although Lamar Odom initially contemplated making the jump from high school to the NBA, he ultimately decided to commit to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV).

However, his scholarship was later revoked after a Sports Illustrated story questioned the validity of his ACT score and he was also arrested for soliciting prostitution.

UNLV’s investigation of Odom’s case further exposed that he had received $5,600 in improper payments from one of its boosters. Consequently, UNLV’s basketball coach Bill Bayno was fired and the university was placed on probation for four years by the NCAA.

Odom eventually transferred to the University of Rhode Island, with his father’s G.I. Bill funds covering his room and board. Although he was admitted as a non-matriculating student, he had to sit out the 1997-98 season.

Odom earned his eligibility to play intramural basketball after two semesters and a summer session. During his first semester, his college career had been in jeopardy after he vanished before finals, but coach Jim Harrick persuaded his instructors to let him make up his remaining work.

Odom also worked alongside DeGregorio, who became his closest friend in college.

In the 1998-99 season, Odom played for the Rams and averaged 17.6 points per game, leading them to the conference championship. He earned First Team All-Conference honors and was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year.

Lamar Odom’s Net Worth

Lamar Odom is a former American professional basketball player who had a successful NBA career and amassed a net worth of $30 million. He played as a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers and earned an impressive total salary of $115 million during his time in the league. His highest earning season was in 2008-2009 when the Lakers paid him a salary of $14 million.