One of Phil Jackson’s first moves as president of the New York Knicks was to sign Lamar Odom on the last day of the season. Odom didn’t play in a game during the NBA season, though he did have a brief stint abroad. But it looks like his NBA comeback attempt will begin immediately.
“He’s coming to town this week,” Jackson said of Odom via the NY Post. “We know he’s a really good basketball player.
“He wants to put himself back together, and he has a chance to do that by having the whole summer to work at it and getting himself back in basketball condition to play. He told me that’s what he wants to do. Having a relationship with him. It’s a pretty good risk-reward situation for us.”
Odom played for Phil Jackson with the Lakers from 2005-2011 and excelled in his role as a sixth man. They won two championships together in LA.
Odom is 34 and still might be able to give a team like the Knicks a few minutes, but it’s not like he’ll be a game-changer. You have to wonder how much this is Phil believing Odom can help the team, and how much it is Phil trying to help a player get on the right track. Lamar was down and out after all his drug abuse was revealed and Khloe Kardashian split from him. Maybe he needs this in his life.
