Everyone deserves a second chance. Lamar Odom found his in Manila

Lead photo from Instagram

You might recognize him as one of Kobe Bryant’s teammates during the Los Angeles Lakers’ unforgettable championship run in 2010 as well as the time when he notched the Sixth Man of the Year award in the same year.

Lamar Odom is back on the basketball court—this time representing the Philippines under Mighty Sports head coach Charles Tiu and his crew just in time for the 30th Dubai International Basketball Championship on Feb. 1, 2019.

The past few years have not been easy for Odom who faced a lot of obstacles after his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. He helped the franchise notch back-to-back NBA championships a decade ago but the forward’s career tumbled downhill after developing a drug and alcohol addiction.

In 2015,  Odom was found unconscious in a hotel in Nevada where he overdosed on cocaine and suffered from kidney failure and several strokes. Since then, the former NBA player has not participated in any professional basketball game.

Today, Odom finds himself in the process of a comeback. The 39-year-old is gearing up to go against various basketball clubs around the world, playing alongside his Filipino teammates like University of the Philippines’ standout Juan Gomez De Liano and PBA’s Joseph Yeo.

Athletes getting through adversities and starting anew is a scenario common in sports especially in the game of basketball. It’s what makes the game beautiful; it helps people become the best version of themselves. In Odom’s case, he found his second chance in a country that considers basketball its religion.

The Philippines will be the perfect place for Odom to reconcile with the sport that made him—the game that allowed him to make a name for himself and gave him the opportunity to overcome drug and alcohol abuse.

The Mighty Sports will play their first game against American University tomorrow, 11 p.m. (Manila time) at Shabab Al Ahli Club, Dubai.