Lamar Odom – Why They Call Him "The goods"

Lamar Odom is well known among basketball fans for his versatile playing style. What most of them will now know is that Odom was once given the nickname “The Goods” because that’s what he delivered during virtually every game during his younger years. As a star with the University of Rhode Island, Odom would help lead the team to the conference championship and also gave them their first A-10 tournament championship.

After his senior year in college, Odom became eligible for the upcoming 1999 NBA Draft. He was selected with the 6th overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers and would go on to have a very solid rookie season with the team. His stats of 16.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 4.2 apg were a testament to the type of versatile play Odom was capable of. He was named to the NBA All Rookie second team for his efforts.

After spending his first five seasons with the Clippers, Odom would become a free agent in 2003 and signed with the Miami Heat, where he would play alongside rising star Dwyane Wade. He, Wade, and the explosive Caron Butler would help lead the Heat to the second round of the playoffs where they would fall to the Indiana Pacers in 6 games.

For the following season, Odom and Butler were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. After the stellar season he had with the Heat just a year earlier, Odom would continue to be a solid player for the Lakers, but they would end up missing the playoffs during his first season with them. He would prove to be a valued member of the Lakers, as he helped lead them to back-to-back NBA titles in 2009 and 2010.

Odom’s size and athleticism generally make him a tough matchup for most defenders playing his position. He has consistently improved his offensive game throughout his career and has also shown good shooting touch from the 3-point line. He is also a very capable defender and rebounder, and his size allows him to effectively protect smaller players. Another facet of Odom’s game that is often overlooked is his ability to create plays. Odom has averaged 4 assists per game in his career, and while it may not sound like much, his willingness to make the extra pass has helped his teams in more ways than one.