The Wait Is Over … Lamar Odom Is Back With the Lakers!

After making everyone sweat for awhile, Lamar Odom has ended his free agent status and decided to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, signing a contract reportedly worth $33 million over four years. Yesterday (July 30), Lamar Odom woke up and listened to a message from his agent, Jeff Schwartz, in which he simply said, “You’re still a Laker.” The Lakers agreed on a four-year deal, reportedly worth $33 million, with a team option for the final year. The 6-foot-1o forward will earn less than the last Lakers offer, which was pulled off the table by Lakers owner Jerry Buss two weeks ago, of about $36 million over four years.

Yesterday Odom told reporters he wasn’t worried about the withdrawl of the first Lakers offer and even made reference to the Miami heat, which gave him a six-year, $63-million deal in 2003 (he was traded to the Lakers the following year as part of the Shaquille O’Neal deal) saying, “Naw, only because, if worse came to worse, I was going to go somewhere that was  comfortable. I was going to fight for what I wanted first and that was being in L.A. and being a Laker. L.A. was the first place that came to my mind. That’s where my heart was at.” An excited Odom continued to say, “It’s good that I put my personal ego aside. My basketball ego was, ‘Why we negotiating?’ But my personal ego didn’t take it personal. I put my personal ego aside a little bit. I was able to stay patient. That’s a great thing that I’m back playing basketball for the Lakers. I’m getting so many calls from friends. The Lakers are family. My kids don’t have to switch schools. Little things like that are important. People don’t think about things like that. I feel like something special is going to happen in this town.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 31, 2009 - Post a comment