Lamar Odom Admits “Cocaine Summers” Cost Him the Hall of Fame [Video]

Lamar Odom is looking back at the habits he says changed the course of his career and possibly his Hall of Fame future.

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During a recent appearance on Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter’s “Cousins” podcast, Odom didn’t dodge the hard questions. When asked where things first went left, he answered without hesitation: “Pot.”

But a lot of people don’t have addiction genetically passed down to them,” Odom said. My father was a heroin addict. If you start with pot and it doesn’t get high no more, you’re like, ‘Maybe I’ll try cocaine.’

He shared that he began smoking as a teenager while dealing with deep loss.

“Like 14, 15,” Odom said of when he started smoking. “My mom died when I was 12 years old. So when your moms die, and you’re in New York City, it’s tough … Part of me was like, f**k it, and then part of me was like, I gotta really get it done.”

As his NBA career took off, cocaine entered the picture, especially during the offseason.

“I’ll keep it real with you, I loved drugs,” he said. “You’re talking to a real addict. I sniffed cocaine…I had some great cocaine summers. That was my way of beating the system.”

Although he avoided using during the season because of league testing, Odom believes the impact still cost him long-term recognition.

“Hell yea. A hundred percent, I should be where y’all are in the Hall of Fame,” he said. “I had people coming to me before I got to the NBA saying, ‘Yo, you a hall of famer.'”

Even while juggling distractions, he pointed to his success.

“Let’s keep it real…I shot a reality show in-season, that means I was playing in the game, winning Sixth Man of the Year, and shooting a reality show,” he said. “I knew I had the grit and the makeup.”

Odom played 14 NBA seasons, won two championships, and built a reputation as one of the league’s most versatile forwards. Still, he admits the drug use shaped how his legacy is viewed.

“When I think about overall greatness and legacy, yeah, I hurt that by using drugs, but I’m gonna stand on that.”

Now, he sees a bigger picture beyond basketball.

“I think about my life and the ups and the downs, I probably been put here to do something more than just play basketball,” he said.