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Lamar Odom was traded by the Lakers twice last season. One trade was expected to land him in New Orleans but was nixed by Commissioner David Stern. Shortly after that, Odom was sent to Dallas where he could never get his game together. Odom seemed like he never recovered from the emotions of leaving the city that he calls home. After a forgettable year in Dallas, Odom is back to try to revitalize his career with the franchise where it all started. The Clippers acquired Odom in a four-team trade and if he can return to the form he was at when he was with the Lakers, the Clips will have a nice boost off their bench.
Lamar Odom joined Fox Sports Radio with Petros and Money to talk about how excited he is to be back in Los Angeles, whether he is more excited to be playing for the Clippers or just being in Los Angeles, on playing with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, if there are still bad feelings between him and the Lakers or him and the Mavericks and if he is still going to be on TV.
How excited he is to be back in Los Angeles:
“I was really excited when I got the call and heard the Clippers were excited about bringing me in and it kind of gave me a swift kick in the butt. I just want to get back to that form before the trade and get back to playing my best basketball man. I’m looking forward to having a great season.”
Whether he is more excited to be playing for the Clippers or just being in Los Angeles:
“It was both. Like I was telling these guys before that I’m from New York but I was raised in LA. I’ve been here since I was 19-years-old. Spent a year in Miami but other than that I’ve been with the Clippers and with the Lakers so to be able to come back and to play for the Clippers after they went through a whole transition as far as bringing Blake (Griffin) here and bringing Chris (Paul) here and the beautiful practice facility that they have they’re really serious about winning and hopefully I can help change and keep that tradition a winning one.”
On playing with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul:
“I’m really excited. Any time you get to see, with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul the first thing I think about is the way they compete. I’ve learned how to compete from the best whether it’s Phil (Jackson), Derek (Fisher) or of course Kobe, playing with those guys and now playing with these guys a little bit younger to be able to try to instill some of those values that I had as a Laker over here as a Clipper I’m looking forward to trying to do that.”
If there are still bad feelings between him and the Lakers or him and the Mavericks:
“I hope not. We all know in life what is important and what is most important is being able to move and we’re only talking about sports. We all go through things as far as life is concerned that’s a little more harsher, a little bit more awakening as far as life is concerned. Hopefully we can let bygones be bygones and move forward.”
Whether he will be on TV as much as he has been:
“I live with them. You’ll see me but not as much as having my own show. You’ll see me from time to time. (Host: You’re not going to miss wearing that ridiculous mic right?) No but we live under a microscope whether you’re a professional athlete or doing reality of TV or whatever, we live under a microscope and it’s funny because being raised in LA and living my adulthood in LA, it kind of got me prepared for that, prepared for making a jump like that and doing something like that. It was fun, I might do it again, I might not but we had a great time doing it and the people loved it.”
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