In a statement to CNN, Lakers spokesman John Black reacted to Lamar Odom’s hospitalization on Tuesday, Oct. 13. "We are aware of the reports but have no information to share at this time," Black said. "I am not aware of any of our players being in contact with Lamar."
Incidentally, the Lakers were playing a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the same evening that Odom was found unconscious in Pahrump, Nev., and rushed to a nearby Vegas hospital.
Odom, who was reportedly in critical condition as of Tuesday night, played for the Lakers during the 2009 and 2010 seasons before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in December 2011. Prior to playing with the Lakers, Odom played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat.
In August 2013, Odom fell off the radar for a few days and resurfaced after he was arrested for DUI and sentenced to three years probation and three months of alcohol abuse treatment. During a November 2013 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, his estranged wife, Khloe Kardashian, opened up amid reports of his substance abuse issues.
"Lamar has been having a really tough time lately and it's not just black and white,” she revealed on the hit E! show. “There's a lot of emotional issues.”
According to a source, things never got better for the former NBA player, who separated from the reality personality in December 2013. "He's been in a downward spiral for a while," an insider told Us. "It's very scary and sad."
