Lamar Odom had a not-so-happy ending in his basketball career, marred by that controversial drug overdose at the Love Ranch back in 2015. He suffered from kidney failure and several strokes, traditionally episodes that would leave the normal human being helpless or incapacitated.
Miraculously, Odom was able to recover from it although it also meant a big change in his life. After getting back on his feet, the 38-year-old star detailed his health struggles, cocaine addiction and about his marriage to ex-wife Khloe Kardashian on the Players Tribune in 2017.
Despite the adversity he went through, Odom has found a way to get through it all. Branded as a walking miracle, the two-time NBA champion seems to want to push it further after announcing on Instagram that he will be playing in China.
Odom will follow the footsteps of other discarded NBA stars bringing their talent to the Chinese Basketball Association. According to the South China Morning Post, the fourth overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft inked a deal with a new management company this summer.
Apparently, Odom has found a new home in Shenzen where he plans to make a new start. The new chapter in his life may seem uncanny following the unfortunate episodes of his life, although there is a story behind it. And that story is from another NBA cager, Stephon Marbury.
Marbury made big strides after leaving the NBA in 2009. Ironically also the fourth overall pick but in the 1996 draft, Odom looked up to the now-retired point guard as his inspiration. Starbury played a total of eight years in the CBA before formally hanging up his sneakers.
Odom will suit up for the Shenzen Leopards, the same team where Jeremy Lin played for briefly in 2011. The best the team got was the quarterfinals of the CBA playoffs.
At 38 plus all the harrowing events in his life, it remains to be seen if Odom can prove that he can still strut his wares on the hardwood. He does hold career averages of 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his 14 seasons in the NBA, USA Today reported. However, basketball life in China is entirely different, meaning he can easily surpass those numbers under normal circumstances.
Calling in a new chapter in his life, Odom can further build on his miraculous return by making waves in China. Basketball fans, not only in China, are likely to keep tabs to see if the 6-foot-10 forward can truly rebound and recall his old form. All that starts in October when the new CBA season unfolds.
