Lamar Odom has never run from his past. But this time, he leaned into it with a level of blunt honesty that stopped people in their tracks.
“I loved drugs. You’re talking to a real addict,” Odom said on the Cousins podcast with Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.
After admitting how much he loved drugs, Odom was asked by Carter whether he used drugs during the NBA season, and Odom responded that he did not.
“Nah… Summertime I did though. I ain’t gonna front. You get drug tested like four times. If you get caught for sniffing cocaine, that suspension is gonna be crazy. I had some great cocaine summers though…That was my way of beating the system. Just partying hard during the summer time.”
There was no sugarcoating it or any attempt to soften the language. Odom did not frame his addiction as a mysterious force that overtook him. He owned it and admitted he enjoyed it. And Odom acknowledged the cost.
As Netflix prepares to release ‘The Death and Life of Lamar Odom,’ revisiting his near-fatal 2015 overdose, Odom has been reflecting publicly on how addiction reshaped his career. The documentary centers on the Nevada incident that nearly ended his life and features voices, including Khloe Kardashian, whose marriage to Odom unfolded at the height of his fame.
On the podcast, Odom spoke about the expectations that surrounded him from a young age.
“100% I should be where ya’ll at in the Hall of Fame. I had people coming to me before I got to the NBA saying ‘yo, you a hall of famer…Let’s keep it real with you, I shot a reality show in-season, that means I was playing in the game, winning 6th man of the year, and shooting a reality show.”
“I knew I had the grit and the makeup, especially if you put me on the spot, I’m gonna get it done, but I think about overall legacy and greatness, yea I hurt that by using drugs, but I’m gonna stand on that. I think about my life and the ups and the downs, I probably been put here to do something more than just play basketball.”
Talent was never the question.
At 6 foot 10 with guard skills, Lamar Odom was one of the most versatile forwards of his generation. He could initiate offense, rebound at a high level, handle the ball in transition, and defend multiple positions comfortably. Over a 14-year NBA career, he averaged 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Those numbers only tell part of the story, because Odom’s value often extended beyond the box score.
Individually, his most decorated season came in 2010-11 when he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for the Los Angeles Lakers. Coming off the bench, Odom averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 53.0% from the field. He embraced the reserve role without sacrificing production, giving the Lakers a unique advantage with a starter-caliber talent anchoring their second unit. That season reinforced the belief that his raw ability was elite.
Odom found his greatest team success with the Lakers, where he won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 alongside Kobe Bryant. During those title runs, he served as a crucial piece of glue, often guarding bigger forwards while also functioning as a secondary playmaker. His ability to seamlessly shift roles made him invaluable in playoff rotations.
Yet in his own eyes, good was not enough.
For years, fans viewed him as one of the biggest what-if stories in league history. What if he had maintained full focus year-round? What if the summers had been about skill development instead of cocaine binges? What if consistency had matched his natural gifts?
Now, Odom answers those questions himself. He believes his talent was Hall of Fame caliber, but the addiction blocked that path.
Still, what stands out most is his accountability. Odom did not blame teammates, pressure of fame, or reality television. He blamed his choices.
In that admission lies both the tragedy and the clarity of Lamar Odom’s story. A champion, a uniquely gifted player, and a career that was impressive. And a legacy that, in his own words, could have been even greater if not for those ‘great cocaine summers.’
