Robert Brizel Editorial: On Basketball’s Lamar Odom Celebrity Boxing Contract
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Los Angeles, CA (January 14th, 2020)– Former two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom, 41, of the Los Angeles Lakers, a 14 year NBA veteran, has signed a deal to become a boxer with Celebrity Boxing. Odom will fight his first bout on June 12, 2021, at Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A known celebrity will be matched against Odom, as the boxing circus parade of stars continues. Odom’s athletic potential has been affected by his issues with alcohol and drug abuse.
A native of South Jamaica, Queens, New York, Odom’s father was a heroin addict, and his mother died when he was 12 years old. Dom was raised by his grandmother. A power forward, Odom played basketball for three years at Christ the King High School in Middle Village Queens. He left prior to the start of his senior year due to poor grades. Odom first transferred to Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, New York, then to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, Connecticut. The Parade Magazine Player of the Year in 1997, Odom was a USA Today First Team and Parade All-American First Team selection. Odom originally signed with University of Nevada Las Vegas, but a $5600 payment from a booster led to the firing of the basketball coach and UNLV placed on four years probation. He transferred to the University of Rhode Island as a nonmatriculant, and did well enough after two semesters and a summer to qualify for sports.
Odom played one season in 1998–99 for Rhode Island, averaging 17.6 points per game, and led the Rams to a conference championship. Odom earned First Team All-Conference honors and was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Atlantic Ten Tournament after sinking a three point shot at the buzzer against Temple University, which gave the Rhode Island Rams their first A-10 title ever. Odom entered the NBA draft and was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth round. Scoring 30 points and 12 rebounds in his pro debut, Odom would be named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1999.
Odom played five years with the Los Angeles Clippers, one year with the Miami Heat, seven years with the Los Angeles Lakers, one year with the Dallas Mavericks, and then one with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played two games with Laboral Baskonia of the Spanish League Euroleague in Europe, before leaving with a bad back. He was signed by the New York Knicks for the remainder of the 2014 season in April 2014, but did not play, and was waived. Odom also played in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and earned a team bronze medal, and won a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Champion in Istanbul, Turkey, winning the NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010 as well.
Odom was arrested in 2013 for DUI (Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol). He refused to submit to chemical testing at the time of his arrest. Odom eventually pled guilty, and accepted a sentence of three years probation and three months of alcohol abuse treatment. Married and divorced with Khloe Kardashian, Odom has two children from a previous relationship. In 2015, Odom was found unconscious at the Crystal Ranch, a legal brothel in Crystal, Nevada, where he had sought the company of two transvestites. He suffered kidney failure, several heart attacks and 12 strokes to cocaine use prior to his collapse. He remained unconscious and comatose at Las Vegas hospital, before being transferred to a Los Angeles hospital where he later recovered.
From football players Ed “Too Tall’ Jones to Mark Gastineau, from actor Mickey Rourke to basketball star Lamar Odom, the exhibition boxing circuit continues it fall to mediocrity for almighty dollar. Comedian Jerry Lewis stepped into the ring with Rocky Marciano for charity, singer Tom Jones stepped into the ring with Muhammad Ali, and boxer turned entertainer Bob Hope stepped into the ring with Sugar Ray Leonard. Logan Paul and Jake Paul, social media icons, have faced opponents form YouTube to the boxing ring. Jake scored a second round knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson in November 2020.
Odom who won pro basketball’s sixth man award in 2010-2011, starred in the Khloe & Lamar reality television series. Odom stands 6’10”, while the shorter Robinson stands 5’9″. Undoubtedly the general public would rather see the 6’10” Odom fight Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko, Lenox Lewis, Robert Helenius, Joy Joyce, and a whole host of tall heavyweight notables. Let’s be serious folks. It’s all about the money. $$$. Mike Tyson, fresh from his exhibition draw with Roy Jones Jr., could fight the winner of Odom versus whoever. The American and worldwide public seem content to pay to see Floyd Mayweather Jr. come out of retirement next month to battle YouTuber Logan Paul. Boxing during the pandemic is becoming more and more of a freak show.
The idea is even if amusing exhibition bouts are trash, it has suddenly become socially acceptable to stage whacky bouts if the public is willing to pay for it. HBO commentator and legendary boxing judge Harold Lederman, a friend of mine now in heaven, would look at these lousy celebrity matches and would probably say “For safety’s sake, irresponsible boxing exhibitions and pro bouts with unqualified celebrities should not be allowed by any boxing commission. It’s absurd. It’s unconscionable, and it’s really dangerous!” Harold is no longer with us to voice his indelible opinion, but I knew him to voice safety concerns.
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