NBA News Wire
Back injury ends Odom’s season in Spain
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Forward Lamar Odom’s season in Spain was cut short by a back injury.
The Spanish team, Baskonia, said Saturday that Odom’s personal doctors in New York ruled him unfit to play for two months, putting an end to his present contract, according to the Associated Press.
Odom, who won two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, signed a two-month contract with the Basque club in February.
Odom thanked the team’s fans on Baskonia’s website.
“I am going to try and get back on the court and give you guys a show,” he wrote.
Odom, 34, scored just two points in 23 minutes over two games for the club.
“Lamar Odom as an athlete, he is a little embarrassed,” Odom said. “But, at the same time, I am proud to be able to say that I am hurt and that I have a team that understands that I am injured and they are still supportive. That means a lot.”
The team said it would “leave the door open” to re-sign Odom when he is healthy enough to play.
Odom averaged a career-low 4.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2012-13 with the Los Angeles Clippers and no NBA teams signed him this season.
Odom was arrested for drunken driving last summer and got divorced from his reality TV star wife, Khloe Kardashian, in December.
