Kareem Abdul Jabbar on Lamar Odom situation with Dallas

[Legends66NBA7]

https://www.facebook.com/kaj

"I'm having a hard time trying to figure out why Lamar Odom would quit the Dallas Mavericks. Throughout his career, Lamar has been appreciated for his versatile array of gifts that are so much fun to watch on the court. Lamar had the talent to play any of four of the five positions that are a part of the structure of the modern game of basketball. When he was hot, Lamar was a factor at both ends of the court. A player who did not surprise people when he registered triple double stats scoring, rebounding and assists in a game.

Last season, he was voted the 6th man award winner by the NBA. This award is given to the best substitute player in the league. Most people thought it was a testament to Lamar's mature consistency as he came off of the Laker bench. It will be a pity if it is his swan song on his way out of the game. Dallas paid handsomely to get Lamar on their roster by giving up a 2012 1st round draft pick and an $8.9 million trade exception for the former Laker forward.

It seems that the Lakers will get to laugh last in this instance. Lamar's performance for his new team this year has been dismal. The Mavericks considered sending him to the D [Minor] League at one point this year. They probably hoped it would shake him up and motivate him to return to the form he once possessed. However this season saw him register career lows in just about every statistical category and he was often the focus of loud boos from the Dallas fans. During the off season, one of his cousins was shot and killed which put Lamar in a bad state of mind. Soon thereafter he was riding in an SUV that struck and killed a pedestrian. Fortunately, Lamar wasn't driving. Finally Lamar's father was reported to be dealing with a serious medical emergency that required Lamar's immediate and full attention. It seems that all of this turmoil has been more than Lamar can bear and he has decided to step out of the picture.

I got to know Lamar when I was coaching with both the Clippers and Lakers. He always struck me as an asset to the team on the court and in the locker room. He had a great sense of humor and felt that his teammates were his family. He was able to endure the ribbing he would get from his teammates for his role on the Kardashian's reality show with wit and grace, But I think we are all susceptible to being pulled down by the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." I, for one, wish to see Lamar's troubles come to an end and the warm, generous and humorous person he is re-emerge. Good luck, Lamar."- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[dunksby]

GOAT has spoken

[SFMF]

woah, this tall dude can write

[DKLaker]

LMFAO at Kareem trying to act like a caring human being
He must want that statue at Staples Center really, really bad.
Anyone who has been around the guy knows he's the biggest A-Hole in NBA history. He's the anti-Magic Johnson. Only Laker I would ever speak badly of.....for very good reason.

[Legends66NBA7]

LMFAO at Kareem trying to act like a caring human being
He must want that statue at Staples Center really, really bad.
Anyone who has been around the guy knows he's the biggest A-Hole in NBA history. He's the anti-Magic Johnson. Only Laker I would ever speak badly of.....for very good reason.

It seems like he and Odom do have a good relation with each other.

I'm assuming they've talked to each other about this situation, already. As for the Magic situation, yeah, I don't think they've talked to each other for years or something, right ?

[bdreason]

Lamar gets paid millions of dollars to perform what I suspect is most people on this forums dream job. Everyone deals with tragedy, but we all still have responsibilities. The teacher making 30k a year, who loses her father, doesn't quit her job because she feels bad about it.

[dunksby]

LMFAO at Kareem trying to act like a caring human being
He must want that statue at Staples Center really, really bad.
Anyone who has been around the guy knows he's the biggest A-Hole in NBA history. He's the anti-Magic Johnson. Only Laker I would ever speak badly of.....for very good reason.

But you are a Lakers fan!

[Legends66NBA7]

Lamar gets paid millions of dollars to perform what I suspect is most people on this forums dream job. Everyone deals with tragedy, but we all still have responsibilities. The teacher making 30k a year, who loses her father, doesn't quit her job because she feels bad about it.

Well said.

I can't really speak that much about Odom, but he's definitely wearing his emotions on his sleeve too much.

He has to (somehow) pull it together for the sake of his career.

[hawkfan]

HAMLET: To be, or not to be--that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep--
No more--and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep--
To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprise of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action. -- Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia! -- Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remembered.

[All Net]

LMFAO at Kareem trying to act like a caring human being
He must want that statue at Staples Center really, really bad.
Anyone who has been around the guy knows he's the biggest A-Hole in NBA history. He's the anti-Magic Johnson. Only Laker I would ever speak badly of.....for very good reason.

Why have you met Kareem?

[824]

Lamar gets paid millions of dollars to perform what I suspect is most people on this forums dream job. Everyone deals with tragedy, but we all still have responsibilities. The teacher making 30k a year, who loses her father, doesn't quit her job because she feels bad about it.

Everyone is human buddy, not everyone has the distorted view of money you seem to have, especially people who have had lots of it for a while, they understand that it's meaningless. I don't know how in the **** you loons equate being grateful for having a job that he worked his ass off to be able to do, that people willingly pay to see for THEIR entertainment not his, advertising revenue from companies PROFITING from said campaigns, etc. with having a rough time with some tough times. GROW UP.

[Da_Realist]

I wish some of the older guys would speak on why Kareem was so disliked during his playing days. He always seemed like an introvert, but an intelligent introvert. A thinking man that understood far, far more about the world than just basketball. What am I missing? Is it because he didn't go around high-fiving guys and pandering to the media?

He just didn't seem like a bad guy to me.

[CavaliersFTW]

LMFAO at Kareem trying to act like a caring human being
He must want that statue at Staples Center really, really bad.
Anyone who has been around the guy knows he's the biggest A-Hole in NBA history. He's the anti-Magic Johnson. Only Laker I would ever speak badly of.....for very good reason.

Dude... Kareem is a good, but misunderstood person he's not what I would call an asshole and I know what kind of things he's said throughout his career and retirement, he gets caught up in his opinions sometimes but as do a lot of smart people - as far as I know he's always eventually made amends with who he was hatin on in the past and in a very good way, often going out of his way to finally say good things about them because the same people he appeared to hate were often people he envied.

[Kobe 4 The Win]

I wish some of the older guys would speak on why Kareem was so disliked during his playing days. He always seemed like an introvert, but an intelligent introvert. A thinking man that understood far, far more about the world than just basketball. What am I missing? Is it because he didn't go around high-fiving guys and pandering to the media?

He just didn't seem like a bad guy to me.

lol, I'm an older guy.

Kareem was to himself. He wasn't comfortable with the media or fans to a certain extent. I don't think he was trying to be a jerk. He got a lot of criticism from freinds and foes alike. His house burned down and he lost everything in, I think 1983. He could of been a little bitter about a few things.

He paid a price for that and I'm glad to see that he is opening up more now and letting people get to know him. He is a very intelligent, talented individual and I don't think he's a bad guy. In my opinion his statue is long overdue.

[B]

lol, I'm an older guy.

Kareem was to himself. He wasn't comfortable with the media or fans to a certain extent. I don't think he was trying to be a jerk. He got a lot of criticism from freinds and foes alike. His house burned down and he lost everything in, I think 1983. He could of been a little bitter about a few things.

He paid a price for that and I'm glad to see that he is opening up more now and letting people get to know him. He is a very intelligent, talented individual and I don't think he's a bad guy. In my opinion his statue is long overdue.

Well said.