Lamar Odom ‘wants to retire as Laker’

In a recent interview with Lakers’ team member Lamar Odom, who is currently recovering from soldier surgery and has been at the center of trade talks all summer with the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers, the NBA star said he is pleased that a resolution has finally been made. As training camp takes off in its first week, Odom learned that he will stay on with the Lakers, making this his fifth consecutive season with the team since he was traded from Miami. Odom, 27, said he is a bit relieved to hear the news in an article published Oct. 4 by the Los Angeles Times.

“I kind of expected it because we lost two years in a row in the first round to the same team,” Odom said. “This is an organization that plays for championships. Of course, when you go out there [and play] hurt, it hurts a little bit, but it’s part of the business as well. I don’t want to be traded, This is where I’d like to end my career - L.A. is L.A., and it’s also my second home.”
Coach Phil Jackson has said that he expects the team veteran to come back this season after recovering from his surgery with a bit more edge in his game. “He obviously wants to prove himself as a player,”Jackson said. “I thought he was having a great year last year. He shares the game with players and I think that’s a real important aspect of it.” Odom, who is expected to be the second highest leading scorer, top rebounder and second or third most successful assist man on the team again this year, is currently undergoing therapy for this shoulder surgery, which was the player’s second since he has been a part of the league, he said.

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