Poor Lammy. I would hope that Khloé is not too upset with me for using her pet name for her husband Lamar Odom, one of the newest members of the Dallas Mavericks and the current reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year. "I would go anywhere with my hubby," she tweeted. " As long as I'm with Lam, I'm good."
There is always a loyalty when it comes to a team and its players. It's normally a very unbalanced relationship. The organization usually has plans to go a direction that the player has no idea is happening. While the player is looking to either be traded immediately or play out the rest of their career with the team. All parties involved should know business is business but emotions tend to run deep when it comes to a job that tells you it's really more like your family. Dinners together, long road trips, wives and girlfriends forced to hang out and entertain each other until drink glasses start to fly across the room on VH1 reruns.
Dallas Mavericks Shawn Marion was quoted saying in the AP "We have his back, and that's all that really matters,"" He's part of our family now…We just have to get the continuity and get familiarized with each other. I can't answer any questions about what's going on in his head, but he's been a true professional about everything. Hopefully he can help make us that much better and help us repeat."
This is the sentiment of almost everyone involved with the Lamar Odom trade to the Dallas Mavericks – "Sentimental." Los Angeles is the home of Hollywood so you can always expect high drama when it comes to its public figures. Originally, Lamar was slated to be traded to New Orleans in a high profile deal that would have brought Chris Paul to the L.A. Lakers instead of across town to the Clippers. Odom had been a fixture in LA for 11 of his 12 NBA seasons (four with the Clippers and seven with the Lakers). Two championships, a Sixth Man of the Year award, multiple long playoff runs, and a reality show later he was on the way out and was not at all happy about his potential exit. David Stern made an executive decision that spared Lamar's feelings for a few days but with speculations swirling the damage was already done.
"You don't want to go to no place you're not wanted," Odom told the Los Angeles Times, after missing the first day of training camp practice.
Kobe Bryant, the Lakers superstar, and long time professional Derek Fisher have almost publicly stated how upset they were over their friend and teammate, being sent away from the fold due to the business of basketball.
"As a basketball player, it confuses you as to what your focus should be," Fisher said. "I'm very disappointed and frustrated for (Odom and Gasol). If I had my choice, Lamar would be a Laker for life." said Fisher in an ESPN interview.
I have watched pro sports for the majority of my life and this is the most emotional I have seen players as it concerns a trade. Upon his first return visit to the Staples Center wearing Mavericks blue, Lamar received a long-standing ovation coming on the court as a reserve midway through the first quarter. Being honored during a timeout with a video tribute and a scoreboard message: "THANKS for the memories LAMAR."
Lamar's showing thus far for his new team has been less than great. He's averaging around seven points and five rebounds per game. Numbers that are close to half of his career average.
Sure, it's probably other factors that have lead to Lamar performing so mediocre for the season to this point, but it's pretty safe to say that LA is not out of his system.
If we as fans didn't have such a "hear no evil, see no evil" attitude some booking houses could claim the fix is in every time the Mavericks play the Lakers. In his 13th year as professional basketball player, I believe that Odom can do just that, remain professional.
"Mostly, I was unprepared for the whole situation," Odom said. "But I'll get there. It'll happen."
