I grew up watching Lamar Odom play basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was one of the most versatile players in the NBA who excelled on both sides of the floor and could fill a stat sheet like none other. Lamar was married to Khloe Kardashian from 2009 to 2016 and was always in the spotlight due to his NBA success and the extravagant lifestyle of his wife and in-laws. Behind the scenes, however, Lamar’s life was being derailed by drugs and pornography. His substance abuse problem, in particular, damaged his health and led to legal run-ins that tarnished his public image. I’ve transcribed a short clip in which Lamar opens up to Fight The New Drug about his dark past and the role pornography played in his undoing. Much respect to Lamar for getting clean and inspiring others to do the same.
After telling TMZ Sports that he had given up porn as part of building a healthier lifestyle for himself, [Fight The New Drug] sat down with the former NBA star near his birthplace of Queens, New York. In this exclusive interview, Lamar opens up about how his porn habits negatively affected his performance as an athlete and warped his sexual encounters with partners. Also, hear how Lamar has been able to improve the intimacy in his life and focus on his athletic aspirations after deciding to cut out porn. [Source: FightTheNewDrug].
In life, you should be focused because decision-making is pivotal. The decisions we make now will be pivotal 10-15 years from now. Like I didn’t never think that watching porn and doing drugs was going to have me one day talking to you. But I’m here now.
Lamar Odom
If you like the video, check out the complete podcast Lamar did (Odom on pornography). For more, see the complete archive of articles on integrity.
Transcript:
Odom: Basketball took me so many different places that I never would even [have] thought to go if it wasn’t for basketball. My grandma used to tell me something, “When you stop learning, you stop living, and life is worth living.” So hopefully you don’t stop learning. I mentioned I’m 40. With all this athletic success I had, I’m still in search of who I am and what’s my purpose. If I just take my story and think about what I’ve been through, I know it’s not the end. I had 12 strokes and 6 heart attacks. . .
911 Dispatcher: 911, where is your emergency?
911 Caller: They need to hurry because he’s got blood hanging out of his nose, and he’s almost not breathing.
News anchor: The two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom now on life support in this Las Vegas hospital.
Odom: In life, you should be focused because decision-making is pivotal. The decisions we make now will be pivotal 10-15 years from now. Like I didn’t never think that watching porn and doing drugs was going to have me one day talking to you. But I’m here now. And I think that’s what drugs and porn did to me–took me away from being present. And you always want to be present in your loved one’s life. Me and my girlfriend have only been together for a couple months, and it almost killed our love, and we have a really strong connection. It just takes out the intimacy. I’m laughing to myself because I’m just thinking to myself, “It makes you a selfish lover.” You know what I’m saying. You probably say sh*t that you would never say if you didn’t watch porn, or do things you would never do.
Having sex with a woman–I’m almost ashamed of some of the things I’ve done while having sex because where porn takes you mentally. But at the end of the day I feel like it’s time to get better. For my family, for the woman that’s in my life, or whoever is going to be in my life. Or my children. The relationship I’m in now–she holds me accountable. That being said, there’s just some things she’s not going to take. I know that losing her will be a lot more hurtful than switching my ways or being open to switch my ways. And that’s just the cycle that I’m trying to break now with my son, and my kids. I’m trying to be there for them, let them know everything I’m going through, how I’m feeling. Be as transparent with them as possible. Being transparent brings honesty and truth to every situation, which way you’re living your life.
If the truth comes out, the sun is shining, everything gets better. We’ll be living better as people.
Great post 😁