Lamar Odom’s NBA career was full of ups and downs. Even though he won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and earned acclaim as one of the best role players at times, he had tough points in his life when drugs surrounded his career.
Odom was quite a unique player in the league at the time. Which is why he revealed his honest stance on using drugs during the offseasons in his career.
Lamar Odom’s Tough Admission on Drug Problems
Odom spent 14 years in the NBA, representing four teams from 1999 to 2013. His time with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers was most memorable, as he won two titles in 2009 and 2010, then earned Sixth Man of the Year in 2011.
As Netflix prepares to release the next volume of Untold, Odom revisited the addiction that changed his basketball career, per “Awful Announcing.” The documentary titled “The Death and Life of Lamar Odom” will come out on March 31 and revolves around the overdose that nearly ended his life in 2015. It includes interviews with Odom, Khloé Kardashian, and others connected to that chapter.
Ahead of the release, Odom appeared on the Cousins podcast with Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, delivering a brutally honest reflection about that aspect of his career. “I loved drugs. You’re talking to a real addict… Summertime I did drugs I ain’t gonna front… I had some great cocaine summers… I should be where yall at in the hall of fame. Off of straight talent,” Odom said.
“I had people coming to me when I was 13 years old saying ‘no doubt in my mind you’ll be a hall of famer.’ Let’s keep it real, I was shooting a reality show in season. That mean I was playing in the games still won 6MOY shooting a reality show. So I know I had the grit and makeup to do it. But overall greatness and legacy, yeah I hurt that by abusing drugs. 100%.”
“I loved drugs. You’re talking to a real addict… Summertime I did drugs I ain’t gonna front… I had some great cocaine summers.” 😳
– Lamar Odom
(🎥 @VinceAndTmac / h/t @NBA__Courtside )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 25, 2026
Odom shone as a versatile player throughout his career. He possessed the ability to shoot and score, rebound, playmake, and play quality defense as a two-way player. He stood out as a point forward, boasting the size and athleticism to produce on offense in many ways.
However, drugs had a significant impact on his ability to play at a high level. The decline was noticeable after the Lakers traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, when he was no longer the star he had been. Nonetheless, it is fortunate that Odom continues to tell his story about his time in the NBA, especially after surviving the drugs that could’ve cut his time short.
