Former Lakers Star Lamar Odom Calls Kobe Bryant ‘Father Figure I Never Had’

Lakers Kobe Bryant & Lamar Odom

Getty Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers share a laugh on the bench.

Always one of the most talented players on the court, former Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom had the handles of a guard with the size and frame of a big man. A jack of all trades and a true stat-stuffer, Odom’s off the court issues were the only things that ever held him back from becoming one of the league’s most transcendent stars.

While Odom never achieved the individual heights many expected given his talent level, his arrival in Los Angeles marked the most productive stretch of his career. Despite being moved to the bench following the Lakers’ blockbuster trade for Pau Gasol, Odom handled the move with class and wound up winning a sixth man of the year award for his role off the bench. Odom credits his success on the Lakers and ability to transition to that role in large part to longtime friend Kobe Bryant.

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Former Lakers Star Lamar Odom Calls Kobe Bryant ‘Father Figure I Never Had’

In Odom’s touching thanks to Kobe on Instagram, he covered a number of things including how he feels he should have given his Sixth Man of the Year award to Kobe in hindsight. Odom specifically mentions how he didn’t even realize how valuable Kobe’s leadership and tutelage was to his continued success until well after his playing days were over.

Odom has long been known for his very public struggles with substance abuse and sex addiction and it is clear he feels Kobe helped him not only on the basketball court but with helping him to navigate the world off the court.

“I hope you know that I’m extremely blessed to have you in my life not only as a friend, laker fam, but also as a father figure that I never had.” Odom signed off his post, “Thank you @kobebryant”


Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers Highlights

On the court, Bryant and Odom had a natural chemistry and innate understanding of where and what the other player would be doing at all times. Odom’s slick playmaking and ability to attack off the dribble helped open up a number of easy looks for Bryant. Meanwhile, Odom’s athleticism and basketball IQ enabled Kobe to have a high flying athletic safety net for when he would inevitably draw over a help defender.

The symbiotic on-court relationship was crucial to the Lakers back to back championship runs. Even after Odom was moved out of the starting lineup following the Pau Gasol trade, he became a force as the sixth man and still shared the court with Bryant for the majority of his minutes.


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