Former NBA star Lamar Odom pawned his two NBA championship rings after a near fatal drug overdose in 2015. He is doing better now, and as faith would have it, he also got his rings back thanks to a generous Lakers fan he ran into at a game this October.
"God is good, and I wanted to tell you a little story to tell you about how good he is," Odom said on his new "On the Lo" podcast.
Odom played for four different teams during his NBA career, including the Lakers from 2004-2011. He was part of the 2009 and 2010 championship teams along with Kobe Bryant.
But life hasn't always been good for Odom. In October 2015, Odom found himself unconscious in a Las Vegas brothel because of an "unholy concoction of cocaine, cognac and cannabis." He was taken to a nearby hospital and was in very serious condition. He suffered 12 seizures and six strokes, and his heart stopped twice.
The medical bills where high, and Odom was left in a desperate situation.
"To make a long story short, there was a time I came up out of the coma, I checked my account and my shit was at like double zero and I panicked a little bit.... I put (the rings) up for auction," Odom said. "It hurt me even just to say that. So, whatever, I put them up, put the money in my pocket, put it to use. Made some use of it. I think that money's even kind of helped me get back here but it was embarrassing for me to do that."
Odom said his mind wasn't "in the right place" when he gave up his rings. According to TMZ, someone bought them at an auction in 2020 for $36,600 and $78,000.
He eventually made his way back to Los Angeles and got in touch with the Lakers, who helped him get good tickets. At their Oct. 20 home opener against the Clippers, someone recognized Odom's familiar face.
"I get there and see a guy who used to sit right by us. Let's call him Franz for right now. My man Franz, he says, 'Yo, Lamar, I bought your rings,'" Odom recounted. "I was like, 'Oh, shit,' because at this point, I'm still embarrassed."
Franz told him to go pick up his rings, and when Odom pulled up to the location, Franz gave them to him without asking for anything in return.
"I think it goes to show you how serious Lakers fans are," Odom said.
