Lamar Odom Thanks Mark Cuban For Understanding His Absence

Lamar Odom returned to the Dallas Mavericks yesterday after being reassigned to the Dallas D-League (Development League). Odom also spent some time away from the team to take care of a personal situation.

The former Laker didn’t elaborate on what personal issue kept him from returning, but he did thank Mark Cuban for understanding his absence and apologized to his teammates.

Odom said:

“It was really personal and it was something I had to tend to… “Mark Cuban is a great owner for understanding. Sometimes we have to fix whatever’s going on off the court in order for us to fix what’s going on on the court.”

SLAM Magazine reports that Odom was expected to play at least a game in the Dallas D-League but was called back to the team at the last minute on Saturday after center Brandan Wright had to miss the game due to an injury. Odom scored 9 points and grabbed five rebounds during his return to help the Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz.

Coach Rick Carlisle said that he was happy to see Odom back in the game but said that he needs the sometime reality star to stay focused on the game.

Carlisle said:

“I don’t think there’s one minute or a stretch of 25 seconds tonight where anybody in that crowd could have said he’s not into the game… He was into it. But now that he’s done it, he’s got to do it again and again and again. He’s got to do it 28 times before the playoffs, and he can do it. I’m fully convinced that he can do it.”

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