"He lost all the people that he loved" - Ex-Lakers' trainer on what led to Lamar Odom's near-death brothel experience
On October 15, 2015, the NBA community and the sports world were rocked by the news of two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom being found unconscious in a brothel in Las Vegas.
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For many, it was a shocking and heartbreaking moment, as Odom had been known for his incredible talent on the basketball court and his marriage to celebrity Khloe Kardashian. But for those who were close to him, this incident was not entirely surprising.
Gary Vitti, the Los Angeles Lakers' former trainer, shed light on the struggles that Odom had faced in the years leading up to this event. While the latter never failed to be there for others, always helping anyone on his team in need, he also faced many demons and chose to fight them by himself.
Trade led Odom down a dark path
Odom began his career on a strong note. Selected as the fourth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, he quickly made an impact, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He went on to have a productive five-year tenure with the Clippers, followed by a successful one-season stint with the Miami Heat.
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However, his career took a drastic turn when he was part of the package the Heat sent to the Lakers in the massive deal involving Shaquille O'Neal. It was with the Purple and Gold that Odom hit his stride, playing a key role in their back-to-back title wins in 2009 and 2010.
The following season, Odom won the prestigious Sixth Man of the Year award. However, in December 2011, his stint with the Lakers came to an end when he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, a move that ultimately marked the end of his NBA career.
"Obviously, we've known Lamar has been struggling emotionally," Vitti shared. "Ever since he was traded from the Lakers, he went downhill. You just couldn't seem to reach him."
"He wasn't returning text messages or phone calls. He just sort of dropped out. So when this happened, it was shocking when we heard this news that Lamar was practically dead. But at the same time we weren't surprised because we knew how he struggled in life. People have to understand that just because he's got fame and money, that doesn't mean anything. He lost all the people that he loved," he added.
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Related: Pau Gasol on how difficult it was to tell Kobe Bryant he would leave the Lakers: "He was very supportive and he understood"
A life full of pain
Beyond the glitz and glamour of being a famous professional basketball player, Odom faced many demons growing up. From his mother passing away when he was only 12 to his infant son dying when he was just six months old because of sudden infant death syndrome to his divorce from Kardashian, he endured one tragedy after another.
According to Cherry Ryder, one of the women Lamar spent time with at the brothel, the latter was just in a lot of pain, and not the kind a physical therapist could heal.
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"He was a very sweet man," she said. "We talked about all the screwed up things that had happened in his life. All of it. Just pain."
Luke Walton, Odom's former teammate on the Lakers, revealed that the writing was already on the wall. Despite his best efforts to support his comrade, Odom remained surrounded by an impenetrable wall, shutting out anyone who tried to connect or offer assistance.
"We had those talks on the phone, but you can only get so real on the phone. Our talks were always positive. He was trying to get better. He was working out. But when you're face to face with someone and I can look him in the eye, it's different," Walton revealed.
"That was the hard thing about it. Lamar was always the guy who was there for you," the son of former NBA great Luke Walton continued. "I'd be depressed about my back and maybe never being able to play again or I was frustrated about being out of the rotation, but if he saw me in a bad mood, he wouldn't even let me leave the practice site without messing with me so I'd go home in a good mood."
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Fortunately for Lamar, he recovered from that ordeal and even shed light on his near-death experience.
Related: "They didn't play any of the championship-caliber teams" - Gary Vitti claimed Michael Jordan's era lacked real competition
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
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