Back in 2004, Lamar Odom signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in hopes of helping the franchise continue their run of success that time. He had already established himself as one of the most versatile players, and his addition to the team gave them more depth in their big man rotation.

The Rhode Island product played solid basketball for the Lakers, and was even a key piece to their back-to-back winning squads from 2009-2010. He also won the Sixth Man of the Year award during his stint with the Lakers, for his stellar play despite coming off the bench. Everything seemed to go Lamar Odom's way and he was happy with how his career was going. However, all that quickly changed in December of 2011.

Odom was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for a first-round pick and a trade exception. While the Mavericks were also consistently making the playoffs and he was still given ample playing time, he recently recalled that development, via Shams Charania of The Vertical, and considers it as the final straw.

“That trade from the Lakers basically ended my career and purpose,” Odom told The Vertical. “I was never really myself ever again. Being in L.A., the structure, the people I knew, it hurt leaving. I had great memories with the Lakers, with Kobe and Pau. That was a special time in my life.

“I got traded the season after we lost to Dallas in the playoffs, and I had won Sixth Man of the Year for the team. To trade me after winning Sixth Man of the Year … what else do I got to do? Why?

“I think about it all the time, about how much I had left in the tank. I had issues going on. But barring injury, could I play in the NBA today? I could play. I should still be playing.”

Lamar Odom’s production dwindled in his 50 appearances for the Mavs. After that season, he was once again traded, and made his return to the team that drafted him back in 1999, the L.A. Clippers. He played in all 82 games for them, but could only manage pedestrian numbers of 4.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 19.7 minutes per game, which is a far cry from what he was producing with the Lakers earlier in his career.

He then found himself out of any NBA team roster, and started to lose control of himself. He turned to drugs and almost died in October of 2015, when he was found unconscious inside a brothel in Las Vegas. The good news is he has recovered completely from it and even completed treatment to remain sober.

There was no doubt that Odom was a good player and could’ve still played more seasons like how he did with the Lakers. Although time has already been lost, one thing he can look back on which could put a smile on his face is knowing that he was an integral part of the Lakers’ last two championships, and was considered one of the better all-around forwards that time.