Lamar Odom has been interested in playing in Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league for quite some time, but he may be more motivated than ever now to join a team for the upcoming season.
Odom told TMZ on Thursday that he could be joining the BIG3 this summer, and he said he doesn’t have a preference of which team he plays for. However, he said he would like to play in honor of the late Rasual Butler, a fellow former NBA player who died in a car crash last month.
“The person I wanted to play for just passed away, so it don’t matter,” Odom said. “I jut want to go out there and represent for him.”
Odom considered Butler one of his closest friends in the NBA.
It’s unclear if Odom is going to receive an offer to play in the BIG3, as one coach said last summer that he would not want the former Los Angeles Laker on his team because of Odom’s well-documented issues in his personal life. While there have been reports that Odom has his drug problem under control, a disturbing video showed that he had collapsed in a nightclub back in November. Odom appeared to remain conscious, though it’s unclear what exactly happened.
Most people seem to agree that Odom could still play if he can get in shape and keep his head on straight, but those are two very big ifs.
