Clippers Teammates Visit Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom's NBA family is by his side during this emotional recovery.
According to the Los Angeles Times, coach Doc Rivers and current roster members Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin almost immediately visited the former Clippers player after news broke that he was found unconscious at a Las Vegas brothel this week. Odom, was reportedly found comatose from an onverdose of herbal sexual stimulants, cocaine and alcohol.
"He probably has no idea we were there but just to be there and to see him, hopefully he knows there's a lot of guys that love him and want to see him do better and want to see him get better," Griffin said before the Clippers practiced Saturday.
Although Odom has been personally embattled off the court in recent years (and professionally when he was with the Clippers, averaging a career low of 4 points in 82 games), his extended fam says he's been and continues to be a positive influence.
"He was great for me in teaching me that you're going to have bad games, you're going to have a bad stretch of the season; just shake it off, stay loose, stay happy," Griffin said.
"LO is just one of those guys who, when he was on our team, he had that veteran leadership," said Paul. "He knew what it took to win. He was very lighthearted. When things got a little bit too serious, he was the one who kept us relaxed and laughed and stuff like that. He's just an unbelievable guy."
Odom is responsive and breathing on his own now, reports the Associated Press via his family publicist Alvina Alston.
Jim Harrick, Odom's college coach said, "He woke up, and he spoke," and that his estranged wife "Khloe [Kardashian] has promised me she is going to stay by his bedside until she and him can walk out of the hospital together."
Watch: Lamar Odom Update: His First Words to Khloe, in the video below.
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(Photos from left: Angela Weiss/Getty Images for David Yurman),Michael Loccisano/Getty Images,Stacy Revere/Getty Images for Laureus)
