"I want to be there when they retire his number" - Lamar Odom makes surprise addition to best starting five he’s ever played with
During his 14 years in the NBA, Lamar Odom got to play alongside multiple Hall of Famers. Nevertheless, he shocked many when asked to put together a starting five of his top teammates. One of the names mentioned was a 20-year veteran who recently decided to step away from the game.
Most remember Lamar Odom for his time with the LA Lakers, but he bounced around the league. He was drafted by the LA Clippers in 1999 and played five seasons there. Some of Odom's other stops include the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks.
On the "Knuckleheads Podcast," the former Sixth Man of the Year put together a starting five of guys he played with. There were obvious names like Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant, followed by a big twist at the end.
"I'm a say D-Wade, Kobe, Pau and Udonis Haslem," Odom said. "I want to be there when they retire his number."
Of all his stops, Miami was one of the shortest for Odom. He spent one season there (2004), where he averaged 17.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 80 games.
Should Udonis Haslem be in Lamar Odom's starting five?
There is no denying that Udonis Haslem is a legend for what he did with the Miami Heat, but there are some other names Odom could have chosen. Along with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, there's another big-name Hall of Famer he got to share the floor with.
After a seven-year run with the LA Lakers, Odom got a change of scenery at the end of his career. He spent one season with the Dallas Mavericks, his second-to-last stop be retiring. There, he got to play alongside Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
In 2012, Nowitzki was two years removed from taking down LeBron James and the Heat in the NBA Finals. It was the end of his prime, but that season was one of his last still playing at an All-Star level. The former MVP played 62 games in 2012 and averaged 21.7 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Nowitzki is a 14-time All-Star, one-time MVP, one-time Finals MVP and one-time scoring champ. Moreover, he also spent over two decades in the league with the same franchise. Being one of the greatest power forwards ever, he should have been on Odom's list.
Lamar Odom might have a lot of respect for Haslem, but there's no denying that Dirk Nowitzki was the better player.