Former NBA star Lamar Odom is opening up about his history with substance abuse ahead of his Netflix documentary release, The Death and Life of Lamar Odom.
In a candid interview on the Cousins podcast hosted by Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, Odom made stunning admissions about his hard drug use during his NBA career.
Adressing the subject head-on, Odom stated, “I loved drugs. You’re talking to a real addict… Summertime I did drugs I ain’t gonna front… I had some great cocaine summers… I should be where yall at in the hall of fame. Off of straight talent.”
“I had some great cocaine summers”
He explained that he was disciplined enough to not use when games were on the schedule because of the league’s strict testing policy. “If you get caught for sniffing cocaine,” he told Carter and McGrady, “”hat suspension is going to be crazy.”
But, when it was time for offseasons, he said that was a totally different story.
“I had some great cocaine summers,” Odom confessed.
In addition, Odom reflected on expectations placed on him from a young age. “I had people coming to me when I was 13 years old saying ‘no doubt in my mind you’ll be a hall of famer.’ Let’s keep it real, I was shooting a reality show in season. That mean I was playing in the games still won 6MOY shooting a reality show. So I know I had the grit and makeup to do it. But overall greatness and legacy, yeah I hurt that by abusing drugs. 100%.”
The 46-year-old ultimately told Carter and McGrady he’s hoping to use his tales to help others dealing with substance abuse issues.
“I’ve probably been put here to do something more than just play basketball,” he said, before later adding, “With my story, with my platform — I can save people from this crazy disease that’s f–king America up.”
The revelation follows Odom’s exit from rehab after completing a 30-day program in Los Angeles. The ex-husband of Khloé Kardashian, entered the program at iRely Recovery after being arrested for driving under the influence in Las Vegas in January this year.
The Death and Life of Lamar Odom (March 31), is directed by Ryan Duffy and features interviews with Odom, Khloé Kardashian, and the former manager of the Love Ranch. It revisits the October 2015 night when Odom was found unresponsive after a multi-day binge, months after separating from Kardashian and shortly after retiring from a 14-year NBA career that included two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.