Lamar Odom
A uniquely gifted 6'10" basketball savant who orchestrated the Lakers' championship runs with his point-forward brilliance and versatility.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American basketball player·Birthday: November 6·Generation X
Biography
Lamar Odom played basketball with the fluid grace of a guard trapped in a forward's body. Standing nearly seven feet tall, he could bring the ball up the court, thread a no-look pass, or step outside to hit a three. This rare skill set made him the ultimate connector, a player who could fill any gap on a roster. After early career stops with the Clippers and Heat, he found his perfect role with the Los Angeles Lakers. As the sixth man on Phil Jackson's contending teams, Odom was the engine of the second unit and a critical closing piece, his versatility allowing the Lakers to shift strategies seamlessly. He was instrumental in securing back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, a contribution formally recognized when he won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011. Odom's career, marked by profound highs and public personal challenges, remains a testament to a singular, unclassifiable basketball talent.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Lamar was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lamar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Lamar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two consecutive NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
- Awarded the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011.
- Won an Olympic bronze medal with Team USA at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.
- Recorded a triple-double in a Game 1 victory during the 2011 NBA Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers directly from college after his sophomore year at the University of Rhode Island.
Odom won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2011 for his community service.
He is the cousin of former NBA player and coach Mo Williams.
Odom briefly played for a team in Spain (Baskonia) during the 2011 NBA lockout.
“I was blessed with the gift of length and the gift of handling the basketball.”
