Odom: ‘I Want to Be Remembered As a Winner’

Though the Lakers and Heat were both tugging on Lamar Odom's long arms over the past month, his ultimate decision to stay in L.A. came down to one simple thing: winning.

"At this point in my career, all I want to do is win," Odom told the Los Angeles Times. "That's how we're going to be remembered as, winners or losers. Right now I want to be remembered as a winner."

Odom's expectations for winning a championship extend well beyond next season.

"If we can win six, seven, eight, nine, 10 championships in a row, I want to experience that," he said.

The contract negotiations between Odom's agent, Jeff Schwartz, and the Lakers were not exactly smooth, with Lakers owner Jerry Buss pulling an offer from the table after waiting too long for an answer.

"That was the first time in my life since I was 8 years old where I wasn't picked to play," Odom told the Times.

However, both sides got what they wanted in the end. The Lakers got their versatile forward back while Odom got to stay in L.A. and be handsomely rewarded for doing so.

Odom eventually signed a four-year, $33 million deal.

"I let him know how important it was for me as a person to be a part of his franchise, why I love L.A. so much," he said. "All I could tell him was the truth."