Lamar Odom shows us the new cost of fame

As of this writing, former LA Lakers and Clippers player Lamar Odom lies in a hospital bed in Las Vegas fighting for his life.   This latest life-threatening drama for the troubled athlete started after three days at a Nevada brothel that included lots of drugs and resulted in an unconscious Odom.

When these episodes happen to the rich and famous, the media dig for all the dirt they can get their hands on.  That always includes the “backstory” of what was going on in the person’s life that led him/her to the situation.  In the case of Odom, it really is no surprise.  He has been in the news for years, even after his basketball career ended, because of his role on the reality show ?Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”

Although much has been written about the tragedies Odom faced and lived through — even before entering the NBA — it is being said that his professional basketball career was doomed in large part because of the reality show.  Apparently, according to the gossip sites, no team wanted anything to do with the Kardashians and the show, which demanded locker room access, front row seats for Odom’s former wife and family and on and on.  The Lakers cut him as did the Clippers.  Team management wanted the focus to be on their franchises, not the Kardashian reality show.  Plus, there were rumors that Odom was using drugs and needed rehab.  Too much drama for a basketball franchise worth upwards of a couple of billion dollars.

Some say Odom didn’t know what he was getting into when he marrried Khloe Kardashian.  He soon wanted out of the show, and it took a toll on his marriage.  So he turned to drugs, again, which is not surprising as his father is a former drug user, so the reports say.

Most people dream of fame and the fortune that often comes along with it.  At his peak, Odom was earning upwards of $10 million a season.  But for Lamar Odom, fame seems to have been a curse.  He was a good athlete and had a future if he was able to focus on that.  For some reason the distraction of the show, which put him on a different exposure level, was more than he could handle.

And the result, as of today, are not pretty.

As the old adage says, “Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.”