Could there be another celebrity HBCU coach?
Lamar Odom, the two-time NBA champion who played more than a decade in the NBA with multiple NBA teams, including winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, has drawn interest from CIAA schools.
According to a report by HBCU Gameday basketball analyst Liv Antilla, Odom has “received interest from a CIAA school.”
Odom, the website said, was recently spotted at the CIAA Tournament and is reportedly being recruited by at least one of the league’s Division II programs, with another school also believed to have his interest.
Odom, however, has never been a head coach or college coach at any level.
What to know about Lamar Odom
Odom’s name recognition comes from a basketball journey that began as a McDonald’s All-American, continued through a standout freshman season at Rhode Island, and peaked during a 14-year NBA career highlighted by back-to-back championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
He was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 and averaged double figures in scoring for much of his prime as one of the league’s most versatile forwards. Away from the court, he became a pop culture figure through reality television and has publicly chronicled his battles with substance abuse and his recovery.
The timing of the speculation is not accidental. Three of the CIAA’s 12 men’s basketball jobs are currently open: Winston-Salem State parted ways with Corey Thompson, Bowie State’s Darrell Brooks announced his retirement during the CIAA Tournament, and Shaw head coach Bobby Collins resigned in the days that followed.
How serious are these unidentified schools in Odom and how serious is he actually in coaching? That remains to be seen.
