New Knicks president Phil Jackson recently met with Lamar Odom during halftime of a game at Madison Square Garden, fueling speculation the man who once coached the now out-of-work former NBA Sixth Man of the Year award winner to an NBA title may be willing to give him a chance to revive his wayward career.
Jackson is on record in asserting he feels the Knicks need to be on a “talent hunt” if they are to have any chance of improving long-term on their disappointing 33-44 season. ProBasketballTalk.com also reports Jackson recently met with free agent veteran forward Metta World Peace, whom he also coached to a tittle while still calling the shots in L.A.
The 34-year-old Odom last played in the NBA with the Clippers during the 2012-13 season, but has been out of the league since a tumultuous offseason that saw him arrested and charged with DUI. That same summer, Odom also spent a brief period in a drug and rehabilitation facility and saw his marriage to reality TV star Khloe Kardashian end with her filing for divorce.
More recently, Odom spent time this year playing for a Spanish pro league team, but soon returned to the states after playing in just two games because of a shoulder injury.
In all, Odom has played 14 NBA seasons for four different teams, averaging 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. His best statistical season came in 2000-01 with the Clippers, when he averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists.
Odom was named the league’s top reserve in 2010, averaging 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists in just over 32 minutes.
Though both Odom and the 33-year-old World Peace figure to be in the latter stages of their career, both are thought to be options in Jackson’s eyes based on their knowledge of the triangle offense he is thought to eventually want to implement with the Knicks.
