Los Angeles Lakers legend Lamar Odom has long been defined by one of the most miraculous comeback stories in sports history. Ahead of the release of his upcoming Netflix documentary on March 31, Untold: The Life and Death of Lamar Odom, the two-time NBA champion is opening up about his near-fatal 2015 overdose in a way he never has before.
In a recent interview with Lakers On SI, Odom revealed a shocking new theory about his overdose, offering insight into a moment that nearly cost him his life and continues to impact him to this day.
What made now the right time to tell your full story with Untold: The Life and Death of Lamar Odom?
“Well, the secret Netflix had a good paycheck, bro (laughs)," Odom said. "No, but it's a time and place for everything. I don't know what made me relevant now.
“I thought it was something that I had totally, totally gotten past. But I understand that, me being a Laker and the first black Kardashian, always have some relevance here in America.
“And so, would not be a better time to tell my truth. You know what I mean? A lot of people probably had it misunderstood and thought that a drug addict went to the brothel one night and bought a big bag of cocaine and overdosed. I was living in Vegas, and I didn't make the connection. I didn't have a cocaine connection yet. And so, that was, I considered it as a hit.
“So, still some trauma that comes along with that, too, because, oh, they're going to come back. Do I need to sleep with the gun under my pillow?”
Are you saying it was a hit on you? Someone tried to kill you?
“I mean, just think about it. I didn't take cocaine that night, that day. And you tested for it. Feel what I'm saying? It wasn't a godfather-type of hit, but I think someone knew I had an addiction and knew I had a weakness when it came to drugs and women, and thought that'd probably be the best time to take me out.
“That's the only thing that I could come, when I'm at it, when I put it, when I try to add it all together, I'm a man that walks with God. I listen to my gut a lot. I guess that's the God within me telling me, right?
“With all that said, I hope that people take from the stories. Don't do drugs, especially if you're an addict, which means you have a diseased brain.
“I'm gonna save my son because he didn't even do what it took to kill him that night. And s---, man, I had 12 strokes and six heart attacks. All my doctors say, like, I'm a walking miracle.
“I had an uncle who had a, who was a correctional officer on Rikers Island, which is the toughest jail in New York City. Yeah. He had one stroke, and we could basically say he probably passed away from that stroke, but he was never able to communicate again. And so, I’m past being blessed, I think the Lord or whoever you call God, Allah, Yahweh, saved me because I'm working with Him. I'm walking with God. I'm probably here to try to use my platform and to tell people there are better days, especially when you can be present, not caught in your addiction, and to raise awareness to people that an addict suffers from a brain disease. So if you take that brain disease and you drink a fifth of cognac, you probably won't act like the person who's not, who didn't take the fifth of cognac or be on your best behavior.
“And I can just think about how many people are affected because of addiction. And when I say affected, you don't have to be the one who's caught in the addiction to be affected. The kids, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and somebody in their family may be getting high, may be acting out to just kind of raise awareness. And the only thing that's going to stop that is awareness and letting people know that being present is part of living your best life. And it's part of thanking God every day for life. And I'm just trying to continue to do that.”
Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson Lamar Odom Kobe Bryant
December 26, 2009; Sacramento, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson (center) listens to forward Lamar Odom (7) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Phil Jackson is in the film. I thought that was interesting. He doesn't really do that kind of stuff these days.
“I was one of his soldiers, you know what I mean? I learned a lot from practicing meditation and teamwork. Anybody who practices meditation knows it's a form of prayer. And so, 12 guys, along with one of the best players in the league at that time, were probably one of the best players ever meditating together. We saw what the outcome was.
“Game Seven, right in your face, Boston Celtics! That's what meditation does.”
So what role did Phil Jackson play in your life on and off the court?
“A teacher. We all go through school and go through academics. And I'm pretty sure you can remember who was your favorite teacher. I didn't have many. Growing up, you know what I mean? I didn't have many. I'm an eighth-grade dropout. I kind of quit school after my mother passed away when I was 12 years old.
“I would say, Phil and Pat Riley. Probably my two favorites. My two favorite teachers and my basketball walk. I know the importance of every position on the court. And one of the reasons is because how I played the game, how I always saw the game.”
Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers
Feb 22, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Magic Johnson at unveiling of statue of former Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Odom went into a bit of detail on his idol, Magic Johnson.
“My biggest idol. Magic Johnson. I always try to customize my game after. And that man on defense. See that intense look in his eyes.
“I wish now if I could erase and redo any of my basketball career ever, I would have made my college coach play me at the point guard, so I could become so I can be drafted as a point guard.
“That was the strength to my game, especially coming to the NBA. If you saw me play for the L.A. Clippers, where they kind of like just gave me the ball, let me do my thing. I even started some games at the point guard.”
Your time with the Lakers was so significant that it kind of overshadowed your stints with other teams during your NBA career.
“It was funny because when I got the opportunity to be in that Shaq trade, it was something I could have said no to.”
Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal
Dec 25, 2003; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal (34) shoots a free throw during the game against the Houston Rockets at the Staples Center. The Rockets defeated the Lakers 99-87. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Is that true? Could you have kept yourself out of the Shaq trade?
“Yeah. But as a Clipper, you're always looking over, like seeing how it is on the other side (Lakers). And I knew I was going to be able to get the chance to play with Kobe Bryant, who I knew before I made it to the NBA, and I'm glad I made the right decision.
“And when you're a Laker champion, you always remember it. You're always revered in this city. Should I have been in L.A. since I was 19 years old? I'm 46 now. So I know I made the right decision when I said yes to that trade, and it got me two rings.”
Los Angeles Lakers Pat Riley
Feb 22, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers former coach Pat Riley poses at statue unveiling at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Back to Phil Jackson and Pat Riley, those are arguably the two is the greatest head coaches of all time. What are the differences between the two?
“It's like yin and yang. One of them, you're gonna it's going to teach you how to run through the wall. That's Pat Riley. And then one of them is going to teach you how to move the world with your mind. No, seriously, how to move around. No, that's a good idea. How to move around the world using your mind.
“We practice meditation as a team, as a group. And so anybody. We sat in the film room and meditated, especially around playoff time.”
Didn't he give you guys books? Everybody got a book in the locker room? What was your book?
“One of them was The Art of War. And he gave me two. … I might want to go pick that up and reread it.”
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant Lamar Odom
Nov 2, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers players (from left) Luke Walton, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Steve Blake, and Ron Artest watch on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 124-105. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Kobe also played a big role in your bouncing back in this whole incident and health scare, right?
“Yeah. They said that he was there, but I was asleep, bro. And I make a joke to people like, man, whatever they had, whatever they f---ing tried injecting me or had me drink, that had to be some good s---, bro. Because it knocked me out, it did the job. Yeah, for three days, I was up. And when I woke up, I was a damn near mummy. I couldn't walk or talk.
“How about this? I couldn't hold my bowels. So you're talking about a humbling time in life. I'm in LA in the biggest hospital and they got to come in every three, four hours to change my diaper. You learn a lot about yourself, what you can endure mentally, physically and emotionally.
“And at that time, it just wasn't draining for me. It was draining for whoever loved me. I had two children at that time. My youngest child passed away from SIDS at six months. But whoever loved me, that had to be an enduring time. And I'm just grateful for the love.”
Khloe Kardashian
May 4, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Khloe Kardashian watches her husband Los Angeles Lakers power forward Lamar Odom (7) play against the Dallas Mavericks in game two of the second round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Mavericks won 93-81.Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Khloe [Kardashian] talks a lot about that in the film. She's in it quite a bit.
“You know what's funny? I haven't even watched it yet. You know why? Because I lived it.”
What difference did Kobe make in your life, like after all this? Because I know he helped you out a bit, didn't he?
“Yeah, win. Win! Not on the court, but even off the court.”
Mamba mentality. And his transition after basketball was unmatched.
“He won an Oscar, which has never been done by an athlete.”
It was a Dear Basketball, wasn't it?
“It was a dear basketball. It was. You put your loved ones first, and you put your craft first, and watch you come out a winner. That's why it's tattooed on my neck right there.”
You got that tattoo done recently, right?
“Been about three years, four years. Well, yeah, it was after his death, so I don't count the days how long he's been gone, but he's someone who was terribly missed, if not just by his family, the world.
“When he passed away, I thought the world, whichever way it's spinning now, I thought it started spinning the opposite way when he passed away. His loss was so impactful. When I came back to LA for his funeral, the air was thin. It felt like a gut punch.
“When I played football, I remember you getting hit in your solo flex, and you lose all the wind. Knocks the wind out of you. That's what it felt like happened to LA.”
Los Angeles Lakers Lamar Odom Kobe Bryant
Jan. 5, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom (left) talks with guard Kobe Bryant against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Lakers defeated the Suns 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Do you remember where you were when you heard the news that Kobe had died?
“I was in Atlanta. And how about this? My man, he started crying. The news wasn't even really official yet, because everybody was in shock, in deep shock.”
Everyone thought the Kobe news was fake, right?
“Yeah, like a media hoax, like a sick joke, like you're saying. Yeah. Even though we all wish it were, but it wasn't. His spirit was so strong. If he's not where he is on his journey, then he ain't too far away. Because you see everybody in the NBA still wears shoes.
I think Kobe’s shoes are still No. 1 in the NBA in terms of current players wearing them during games.
“And this generation, Kobe was so good because he was trying to catch Michael Jordan. And there were a couple of players that people might have thought were on his level, that he had to compete with to get the top spot. But I saw an interview with Coach K talking about the Redeem Team, and he said Kobe was our best player.
“So I think the players of this generation, that's who they should be trying to catch. … But when I say try to catch, I don't mean win as many rings or score as many points. I mean, like really being the best.”
Los Angeles Lakers Pau Gasol Lamar Odom Kobe Bryant
January 4, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol (16) is congratulated by power forward Lamar Odom (7) and shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) after scoring against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
If you could sit down with your younger self at the height of your Lakers career, what would you tell them? What would you tell a young LO?
“Stay away from your weakness. And my weakness, obviously, was drugs because I'ma drug addict. It could have been passed down to me from my father. But I'm not blaming anybody. Makes no sense to blame anybody. On or off the court, you have to work with what you've got. And I had an incredible stat line in terms of skills and how to play the game.
“And just work on being the best player that you can be. Anybody who offers you that s---, drugs, whether it be coke, pot, alcohol, they're probably ain't your friend. And to choose my friends wisely because they could affect you on or off the court.
“There was one point in my time when I thought I was just as good as Magic Johnson. But I can't prove it now. You know what I'm saying? And I would let that young kid know that you're going to be off the court a lot longer than your career is going to last.
“So legacy is just not about what you're doing on the court. It's kind of like how you live your life. I have so much life to live. Highlights don't mean s---.”
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