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Lamar Odom Reunited With Kids At Lakers Game Thanks To Kobe Bryant, Vows NBA Return

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 08:38 PST, Apr 14, 2016

Perhaps watching friend and former teammate Kobe Bryant retire from the Lakers put the idea in Lamar Odom’s head, but Odom is vowing to return to the NBA. Lamar Odom flew his teenaged kids out to Los Angeles to see Kobe Bryant’s retirement game with the Lakers, and the family got to enjoy a special occasion together at the star-studded event.

According to a previous report by Inquisitr, Lamar Odom has fallen off the wagon, and has gone back to drinking after spending nearly six months in the hospital after overdosing in a Nevada brothel. Odom has suffered many strokes, and potentially some brain damage; yet, he has been spotted out in a bar, drinking in the early morning hours with friends. Estranged wife Khloé Kardashian wants Odom to get help, and if he doesn’t, she will finally go through with a divorce as planned.

TMZ Sports is reporting that Lamar Odom got a huge assist from Kobe Bryant, who provided Odom and his kids — Lamar, Jr. and Destiny — with tickets to his final home game. Odom had promised his kids, who live on the east coast with their mother, that he would take them to a Lakers game, and he came through thanks to a little help from Bryant.

Sources close to the family say that this is the first time that Lamar Odom has seen his kids since Christmas time, when he was still in the hospital. Odom is allegedly making an effort to rebuild his relationship with his children, and is trying to see them more than once or twice a year. The trip to see Kobe Bryant’s final game at the Staple Center seems like a good start.

But if Lamar Odom has his way, Lamar Odom, Jr. and Destiny Odom might just see him play again in the NBA, according to TMZ. Odom, now 36, is serious that he’s “still got it” and says he is working his way back to playing professional basketball, despite his overdose, strokes, and organ damage. It is rare for a player at Odom’s age to still be playing at top form, and even more so after a medical catastrophe. As Odom was there to witness, Kobe Bryant in hanging up his hightops at the same age as Odom, and he is still considered in professional NBA shape.

In the same conversation, Odom commented that he’s got some serious issues with Khloé Kardashian refiling divorce papers, but he is not giving up on that either.

“Everything is up for discussion,” Odom said. “I mean we’ve been through a lot. It won’t ever stop.”

Hollywood Life reported that a night at the Staple Center seemed to bring Lamar Odom back together with his estranged children. Kobe Bryant, 37, a contemporary of Lamar Odom from his NBA days, made sure that Odom got tickets for himself and his kids for Bryant’s retirement home game.

Odom could be seen at the Lakers game with his children and Kanye West, sitting side court to celebrate the long career of Kobe Bryant. Kobe had a great game, and scored 60 points to the cheers of his faithful fans.

After Lamar Odom’s overdose, Khloé Kardashian flew Lamar’s family, including his former wife Liza Morales, out to Los Angeles to visit with the recovering former basketball player, and perhaps if Odom has changed one thing since his overdose, it’s the need to rebuild his relationship with his children.

If the Odom family only got to see one Lakers game, this was a great game to catch.

Do you think Lamar Odom can play again in the NBA, despite the challenges he has to overcome?

[Photo by Mark Terrill/AP Images]

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