Lakers’ Odom named top reserve player

NEW YORK—Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom was named the NBA’s Sixth Man on Tuesday, becoming the first member of the Lakers to capture the award presented annually to the league’s top reserve player.

Odom averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 32 minutes a game while playing in all 82 games for the Lakers, coming off the bench 47 times and starting 35 other games due to injuries to center Andrew Bynum.

Players had to have more appearances off the bench than starts to be eligible for the award.

The Lakers, seeking their third consecutive NBA title in the playoffs that began last weekend, put Odom into a reserve role in the 2008-2009 season after he served mainly as a starter for nine years with Miami, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Lakers.

Odom, who came off the Laker bench 41 times in the team’s prior two playoff title runs, received 513 of a possible 585 votes from a North American media panel, including 96 of 117 first-place votes.

Jason Terry of Dallas was second with 244 points.