Lamar Odom has lived one of the most extreme survival stories in sports, and his recent appearance on TODAY with Jenna and Sheinelle brought that reality back into focus. When he spoke about surviving 12 strokes, six heart attacks, and a three-day coma, the weight of what he endured became impossible to ignore.
Question: “You suffered 12 strokes, six heart attacks. You were in a coma for three days. In the documentary, it talks about the fact that Khloé Kardashian stepped in, tried to keep everybody out, so that you could just get better. And she stayed by your side for four months, for four months after filing for divorce. When you look back on that time, a lot of us were saying, you know what, Khloé, she rode hard for you.”
Lamar Odom: “Yeah, she did. She took care of me, but God took care of me the most. What I came back from was remarkable, like a medical miracle.”
Question: “How do you wrap your mind around that part of it? There are so many people who have one stroke and don’t come back. You had several, 12 strokes and six heart attacks.”
Lamar Odom: “When I woke up, I couldn’t even walk or talk. I just buckled down, said my prayers, and stayed close to God.”
Question: “Do you feel now that there’s a reason why you’re here, searching for the right thing?”
Lamar Odom: “The reason why I’m here is to help people who suffer from that brain disease of addiction beat it, that you can beat it.”
Question: “Did you ever go to rehab? Do you feel like you’ve beaten it?”
Lamar Odom: “Yes, ma’am. But it’s day to day. All I can do is practice good habits and keep myself safe.”
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That daily approach has included exploring different recovery methods. Odom has spoken about using ketamine therapy as part of his healing process, especially while dealing with the emotional weight of addiction and trauma. His journey has also taken spiritual turns, including moments where he claims to have felt guidance from late figures like Kobe Bryant, whom he says appeared to him in a dream with a powerful message.
Odom’s story stands out because of the scale of what he survived and the honesty in how he tells it. This is not a clean comeback story. It is messy, painful, and ongoing. He does not claim victory over addiction in a final sense. Instead, he treats it as a daily fight.
That is what gives his message weight. Surviving 12 strokes and six heart attacks is rare, but coming back with purpose is even rarer.
Now, Odom is not chasing basketball success or headlines. He is trying to reach people who are where he once was. And if his story proves anything, it is that even the most extreme fall does not have to be the end.
