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During a recent sit-down interview with a pair of basketball legends, Lamar Odom made some stunning admissions about his hard drug use during his NBA career.
The former Laker opened up in a candid conversation with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady on the latest episode of the “Cousins” podcast, and he said that back in his playing days, he never used when games were on the schedule because of the league’s strict testing policy.
“If you get caught for sniffing cocaine,” he told Carter and McGrady, “that suspension is going to be crazy.”
But, when it was time for offseasons, he said that was a totally different story.
“I had some great cocaine summers,” Odom confessed.
Odom, McGrady and Carter spoke for an hour on-camera about the two-time NBA champion’s struggle with sobriety, and Odom acknowledged repeatedly that he was an addict.
At one point, he said outright, “I loved drugs.”
He, however, said it all probably cost him a spot in the Hall of Fame.
“I should be where y’all at,” he said. “In the Fame. You feel what I’m saying? Off of straight talent.”
He later added, “I hurt that by abusing drugs. One hundred percent.”
Odom talked in depth about his near-death experience at a famed Nevada brothel in 2015 and shared intimate details about all his life’s ups and downs.
He ended up saying he’s now two years clean from cocaine, although he’s still using marijuana.
The 46-year-old ultimately told Carter and McGrady he’s hoping to use his tales to help others dealing with substance abuse issues.
“I’ve probably been put here to do something more than just play basketball,” he said, before later adding, “With my story, with my platform — I can save people from this crazy disease that’s f–king America up.”