Sober Odom wants a match with Green
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2019 16:25:31 +0000
Retired National Basketball Association (NBA) star Lamar Odom wants to pit his skill against Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors if given a chance to play in the NBA again. Odom was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers when the team won the NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.
“Whom I want to play against? Draymond Green because I just like his style of play, I like his intensity. I like a player like that because it brings out the best in you. When I watch his game, I think about my game right now. But returning to the NBA is just a possibility for now,” the 39-year-old player told reporters in a news conference on Friday at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City.
Odom is in the country to promote his stint with Mighty Sports that will compete in the Dubai International Basketball Championship starting February 1. Among his teammates are imports Justin Brownlee and Randolph Morris, Juan Gomez de Liano, Joseph Yeo, Troy Rike, Santi Santillian and Gab Banal.
“Who knows? If this goes right, you know teams picking up teams, picking up players for the playoffs around this time so who knows? It depends on how I perform,” added Odom, who also played for the Los Angeles Clippers (1999), Miami Heat (2003) and Dallas Mavericks 2011).
He left the NBA in 2013 to play for Laboral Kutxa Baskonia, a Spanish team in Liga Endesa.
Odom, formerly married to celebrity Khloe Kardashian, suffered several strokes and became comatose in 2015 following substance abuse.
Now healthy and playing hoops again, Odom said he already learned his lesson.
“My journey in life has been totally different. I don’t think anybody in the NBA has ever been through what I have been through and I’m here to fight. The biggest lesson: Be very picky in choosing friends and love your family. It is very satisfying because I can go out there and compete and play the game I love. My goal is to compete, have fun, and be happy.”
Asked what convinced him to play basketball again, Odom said: “Watching LeBron James played last year. He was 33—at his best probably in his career. JOSEF T. RAMOS
The post Sober Odom wants a match with Green appeared first on The Manila Times Online.