Lamar Odom grandparents had an impact on both his career and his ability to keep going.
Lamar Joseph Odom had a great and complicated professional basketball career that was based on his talent, versatility, and hard work.
Odom was born on November 6, 1979, in Queens, New York. He became famous around the country as a high school star, winning Parade Player of the Year in 1997.
He kept that momentum going when he went to college basketball at the University of Rhode Island.
In his first season, he led the Rams to an Atlantic 10 championship and was named to the conference’s All-Star team before declaring for the NBA Draft.
In the 1999 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers picked Odom fourth overall. He made an immediate impact by making the NBA All-Rookie Team.
His career reached its peak when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers. His ability to play both forward and center helped the team win championships in 2009 and 2010.
Odom was the first Laker to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011.
He also played for the United States in international competitions, winning bronze in the Olympics in 2004 and gold at the FIBA World Cup in 2010.
Even though Odom had problems in his personal life and in his later career, his on-court achievements are still impressive.
On January 17, 2026, former NBA player Lamar Odom was detained in Las Vegas on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI).
According to the authorities, he also received citations for a number of driving infractions, such as improper lane changes and excessive speeding. When he was pulled over early in the morning, he was placed into local detention.
The 46-year-old was reportedly arrested for two traffic infractions: exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 41 mph and changing lanes improperly or failing to stay in his lane.
Lamar Odom skipped his latest Las Vegas court appearance, where his attorney Kevin Coburn entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, waived the reading of charges, and secured a bench trial set for July 7, 2026.
Lamar Odom Grandparents Are Still Very Important To His Story, Both On And Off The Court
Lamar Odom’s grandparents had a big impact on his life, especially when he was sad.
Odom’s maternal grandmother, Mildred Mercer, raised him when his mother, Cathy Mercer, died of colon cancer while he was just 12-year-old.
Mildred was a nurse, raised five kids, and went back to school at 56 to receive her degree.
She helped Odom get his life together, gave him support, and made him feel safe when he was a child.
Odom has often said that her determination and hope have guided him, and he even wore jersey number seven, which he called her lucky number, and engraved her name on his sneakers.
There isn’t much information out there about Odom’s maternal grandpa. He doesn’t come up in many public portrayals of his childhood.
Florence Odom, Odom’s father’s mother, came out in public at some of his hardest times.
Florence talked to the press while Odom was in the hospital in 2015. She said she was worried about him and strongly believed he would get better.
Years later, Odom started senior living initiatives to make it easier for people to get high-quality care for the elderly because of the problems she had with elder care.
His grandparents were always there for him, were strong, and had a big impact on his life and his goals outside of basketball.
Additional Information
- Lamar Odom was in reality TV shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and the spin-off series Khloé and Lamar while he was married to Khloé Kardashian.
- Odom was found comatose at a Nevada brothel in October 2015 and was put in a hospital in a vegetative state. This led him to seek long-term help for his drug and alcohol addiction.
- Odom’s personal sorrow happened in 2006, when his little son Jayden died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This had a huge effect on his mental and emotional health.
- He is the father of three kids: the late son Jayden, daughter Destiny, and son Lamar Jr.
