Lamar Odom is a professional athlete in the National Basketball Association. He currently plays power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers.

After starting the first 11th game of 2009-2010 season, Odom will now come off the bench as Pau Gasol is back from the injured hamstring.

• November 6, 1979: Born
• 1999: Selected 4th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA draft
• 2000: Makes all-league rookie team in first season
• 2003: Signs with Miami Heat as free agent
• 2004: Traded to Los Angeles Lakers for Shaquille O'Neal
• 2009: Wins the first NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers

After a month of tough negotiation, the Los Angeles Lakers and Odom has finally reached terms on a new contract. The deal is worth $32.8 million for four years with option at the fourth season. ESPN.com: Source: Odom, Lakers agree on deal

The break down of the contract is as follow:ESPN.com: Lamar Odom's Contract Numbers

• 2009-2010: $7.5 million.
• 2010-2011: $8.9 million.
• 2011-2012: $8.2 million.

If Lakers decline to pick him at the fourth year, they must pay $2.4 million buyout before 2012-2013.

The 6'10" forward is renown for his ball handling skills and versatility. His size and speed have often been favorably compared to former NBA All-Star Scottie Pippen, but he has been unable to achieve the accomplishments that Pippen had. He is still recognized as one of the elite players in the NBA, arguably the best player in the league who has not made an all-star team.

In March 2004, Lamar Odom founded Cathy's Kids foundation. The foundation is named after her mother who passed away due to stomach cancer when he was 12. Cathy's Kids foundation is a channel for Odom to streamline his charitable efforts. It also helps him to focus on making positive impact on the lives of underprivileged children.

Lamar Joseph Odom was born in Queens, New York, on November 23, 1979. He attended high school at Christ the King Regional High School, then Redemption Christian Academy and finally St. Thomas Aquinas Prep. He first attended college at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. After a scandal surfaced in which he received payments from alumni boosters, he transferred to the University of Rhode Island. He was forced to sit out one year due to the violation, but then played one year at the university leading the team to the conference championships in 1999.NBA.com: Lamar Odom Info Page

With the fourth pick of the 1999 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Lamar Odom. In his first season, he was named to the 2000 NBA All-Rookie Team. In 2003, he was traded to the Miami Heat, then again in 2004 along with Caron Butler to the Los Angeles Lakers for All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal.NBA.com: Lamar Odom Info Page

In 2009, he won his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, mostly by coming off the bench.