Lamar Odom: NBA Sixth Man of the Year




Lamar Odom receiving award

Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2010-11 season. This is not only a great accomplishment for Odom, but also for the Lakers franchise because Odom is the first in the organization’s prestigious history to achieve this feat. There have been some well-known sixth men for the Lakers over the past two decades, such as Michael Cooper and Kurt Rambus, but Odom stands alone in Lakers history.

This year was not Odom’s best campaign as a pro statistically, but it was his best “all-around” season as a well-rounded player. The point-forward averaged 14.4 points, eight rebounds, and three assist per game, but his experience with Team USA at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey helped Odom mature as a vocal leader. Serving as a co-captain along the side of Chauncey Billups of the New York Knicks, Odom returned to LA with a gold medal and a will to “lead.”

Standing at 6-foot-10 and weighing 230 pounds, Odom has the size of a power forward, shoots like a small forward, has the handle of a two-guard, and exhibits the court vision of a point guard. Odom’s skillset is very unique and it allows for him to cause matchup problems for his opponents. Odom can play inside the paint, on the perimeter, and take bigger defenders off of the dribble when  isolating.

With these assets and the newly found leadership traits within Odom’s persona, the Lakers benefited from his presence throughout their “perplexing” season. Odom provided great energy when the Lakers were in slumps and looked a little lethargic during their short losing streaks. Though the Lakers season seemed puzzling at times, they managed to finish second in the Western Conference to the San Antonio Spurs at 57-25 and are on verge of conquering their third consecutive NBA championship.

Life in the NBA has not been easy for the former No. 4 pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. In the early part of his career as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, Odom endured consecutive losing seasons and received multiple suspensions for violating the league’s substance abuse policy in 2001.

From 2002-03 he dealt with a severe ankle injury that hampered his career; in the 2003 offseason Odom signed with the Miami Heat. After one season in Miami, Odom was traded to the Lakers for center Shaquille O’Neal. In 2006, Odom’s 6½-month-old son, Jayden Odom, died in his sleep.

As one can see, the Queens, NY native has overcome some of the darkest moments of his 11 years in the NBA. Now a two-time NBA champion and a newly married man to reality star Khloe Kardashian, Odom’s career has turned out to be a success.

Odom and the Lakers will take on the New Orleans Hornets Sunday night in New Orleans for game four of their first round matchup at 9:30 pm ET on TNT.