#7 Forward #GearUpForGreatness” (Photo: @mightysports_ph/Instagram)
Thirty-nine-year-old basketball player Lamar Odom, who formerly played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), has officially stepped foot in Manila last Wednesday, January 23 in time for his first practice with team Mighty Sports Philippines for the 30th Dubai International Basketball Championship, which will be happening from February 1 to 9.
Prior to his flight, the six-foot-ten forward shared a video on his social media, captioned, “What’s up everyone! I’m getting ready to board my nineteen-hour flight to Manila! I am so excited to start my practice tomorrow in the Philippines. It’s happening! Can’t wait to compete again.” In the video, he told his Filipino fans that he “cannot wait to meet [them] in person,” also referring to his meet and greet dinner, where he will join 30 different fans at Luna Members Cafe on January 29, 2019.
Back on December 19, Odom first announced the news that he would be joining the Charles Tiu-led Mighty Sports “with [his] forever [jersey number] 7,” sharing, “It’s been a minute since I’ve professionally competed and I hope to be as explosive as I used to be! I was hoping to be ready for the Chinese CBA earlier this year but I didn’t feel that I was physically where I wanted to be yet. I needed more time to recover from my multiple strokes and heart attacks. I’m not giving up and going in full force! Patience and moving forward is key!”
Odom spent 14 years in the professional league, even helping his team win back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he was given the Sixth Man of the Year award. Two years later, Odom played for the Los Angeles Clippers but in October 2015, it was announced that Odom was in a comatose and was placed on life support for drug abuse, which led to his departing from the league. In the NBA, Odom averaged 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.