When Lamar Odom was part of a blockbuster trade that would see him land in New Orleans and Chris Paul end up in Los Angeles, the former Lakers forward was less than thrilled. Now, after being dealt to Dallas, Odom seems at least willing to try and make it work.
Odom was traded to the defending champion Mavericks over the weekend for a draft pick and a trade exception, and it sounds like he's starting to warm up to the idea of playing in Dallas.
That was far from the case after Odom had one foot in the Big Easy, something that reportedly led him to demand a trade from the Lakers. Los Angeles general manager Mitch Kupchak obliged Odom on Sunday.
"In this case, he couldn't get over the fact that something like that could took place," Kupchak said, according to the Los Angeles Times. I was hoping that things would change in a day or two but his representative called me on Saturday and said that's not going to change."
Odom is now in Dallas, and he vows that he's there to play his game and help Dallas win another title. Not only does Odom get to play for a legitimate title contender with the Mavs, he also gets to play with one of the best players in the game in Dirk Nowitzki.
"He's one of the toughest guards in the NBA," Odom said in an interview with NBA TV. "He can make shots from anywhere. Doesn't matter if you body him up or lay off him. He's just one of the best at that."
Of course, the conversation also turned toward Odom's highly publicized social life and his marriage with reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, with whom Odom stars in a reality TV series with.
Will the TV show shift its setting to The Big D?
"It's part of my life," Odom told NBA TV. "I think [Mavericks owner Mark Cuban] is looking forward to it, but it's something I'll speak to him about and speak to the coaches about. I'm not here to rattle feathers or anything like that, I'm just here to play basketball."
That doesn't mean Khloe won't "rattle some feathers," though. Just ask Kris Humphries.
