Lamar Odom says fan gifted him back NBA Championship rings he was forced to pawn
Lamar Odom famously suffered a near-fatal drug overdose in 2015, after which he was forced to sell his belongings to cover medical costs.
The former NBA star almost died during the incident, which occurred at the Love Ranch brothel in Las Vegas.
In a new interview, Odom has revealed the lengths he went to to keep on top of medical bills in the wake of the overdose - admitting he was even forced to sell two NBA championship rings in 2016.
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Incredibly, Odom - who was speaking on his new podcast, On the LO - revealed the fan who bought the rings later offered to return them for free.
In 2020, Odom, 42, sold both rings at auction for $36,600 and $78,000 respectively.
But when attending a Lakers game against the Clippers last month, the fan approached Odom and offered to return the rings for free.
Odom explained: “I saw this guy who used to sit by us [at games]. Let's call him France for right now, my man France.
“So, he says 'you're Lamar, you know um...I bought your rings’. I was like, 'oh s**t!’ because at this point I'm still embarrassed.
“You know, at the time, I was really embarrassed because people thought I was put in a coma by using cocaine.”
Odom went on: “What was really crazy was that I was really mad that night because I didn't even have any cocaine to do.
“So, he was like, 'yeah, I have your rings, just come pick them up’. I pulled up on him and he gave me my s**t back...for nothing.”
Odom announced his retirement from basketball in 2014, not long after his then-wife, Khloe Kardashian, filed for divorce.
Odom directly addressed the overdose in his book, writing: “I decided to spend the weekend of Oct. 10, 2015, at the Love Ranch, a brothel in Las Vegas.
“The number of days that blended into nights that I’ve spent with a beautiful woman and a mound of drugs… My getaway weekend would be no different.”
He continued: “On Tuesday morning, I lay on the floor in my room at the Ranch, dying.
“My body was convulsing. The women who kept me company screamed and called 911. I was taken to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas.
“There was an unholy concoction of cocaine, cognac and cannabis coursing through my veins. My heart stopped twice. I had twelve seizures and six strokes.
“My lungs collapsed and my kidneys ruptured. I was on life support. Everyone I’d ever loved was looking at me through bleary eyes.”
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Aisha Nozari