Odom open to PBA stint
Credit to Author: Tempo Online| Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2019 22:00:23 +0000
by Waylon Galvez
Former NBA player Lamar Odom is open to the possibility of playing in the PBA or representing ALAB Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).
Odom, who won two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010, is in the country to prepare for his basketball comeback as import for Mighty Sports in the Dubai International Basketball Tournament is set to begin on Feb. 1.
“I can see myself playing basketball here,” said the 6-foot-10 Odom, who arrived Wednesday to prepare with the rest of the Mighty Sports squad.
“I like it (here). I like that they love basketball. If it goes good here, I can see myself maybe playing basketball here,” he added.
Former NBA Player Lamar Odom. (AP)
Odom is on a comeback bid in playing basketball following a five-year layoff due to health issues.
Odom was the No. 4 overall pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1999 Rookie Draft. After five seasons in LA, he was dealt to the Miami Heat and played two seasons.
He was then shipped to the Lakers in a blockbuster trade that involved superstar Shaquille O’Neal in 2004, and five years later, won back-to-back NBA championships with Bryant and coach Phil Jackson.
Odom is using his stint with Mighty Sports to prepare him for his goal to play in the Big 3, a tournament in the United States where former NBA players are competing the last two years.
Sheryl Reyes, who represents Odom in the Philippines, said it’s possible for the 39-year-old player to play in the PBA during the Commissioner’s Cup where the league allows 6-foot-10 reinforcements, or with ALAB Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).
For now, however, Odom is focused on helping Mighty Sports, as he restarts his basketball career.
“I’m happy to be in Manila, it means a lot to me to restart my basketball here. Everyone here knows my story, to have the opportunity to play basketball,” said Odom.
“I was at death’s doorstep, so just the opportunity to play basketball is a win-win for me,” he added.