Lamar Odom stepped into the crypto ring—and caught some serious heat. The former NBA champion made a surprise appearance at Donald Trump’s private crypto gala, but instead of cheers, he got booed by a crowd that wasn’t feeling his new venture.
The event, held at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, was a celebration of the $TRUMP meme coin and the investors behind it. But Odom had his own agenda: launching $ODOM, his personal meme coin that he says reflects his journey of “sobriety, discipline, and rebirth.”
In a post on X, Odom hyped up his coin, calling it “the most soulful meme coin” and even thanking Trump for “supporting the meme philosophy.” He added that he wouldn’t touch any founder tokens until $ODOM hits a $1.5 billion market cap—bold claims, but the crowd wasn’t buying it.
Protesters outside the gala chanted “shame,” targeting not just Trump, but the entire crypto spectacle. Critics called it a tone-deaf display of wealth, celebrity, and political power. Some pointed out the involvement of foreign investors and the ethical gray areas of mixing presidential politics with digital coins.
Odom’s pitch included buzzwords like “burn + buyback” mechanics and ties to the U.S. Treasury’s stablecoin system—but that didn’t stop the audience from turning on him.
$ODOM is based on the Solana blockchain and branded as more than just a meme—it’s Lamar’s message. But with a launch this rocky, only time will tell if the crypto world is ready to embrace it, or if Odom’s latest chapter will be remembered for the boos instead of the blockchain.
