Lamar Odom. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Lamar Odom no doubt is one of the better forwards of his era.
The 6-foot-9 forward is one of the most versatile players and he used his unique skill set to being named the Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 and helping the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2009 and 2010 NBA championships.
With his combination of size and guard-like skills, Odom averaged solid career numbers of 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.
Yet, he didn’t bother to put his name among the other great forwards during his time with that distinction belonging to Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan.
Talking to Filipino reporters during his media availability Friday at Solaire Resort and Casino, Odom said it was “easily” those three.
Nowitzki, Garnett, and Duncan all won the MVP trophy, have seven titles in between them, and 43 All-Star appearances.
Duncan was the most successful of all with five titles and one MVP plum while both Garnett and Nowitzki each won a championship.
The power forward position during Odom’s career, 1999-2013, was also one of the most stacked spots of the era with the likes of Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Amare Stoudemire, Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal, and even an aging Karl Malone vying for the distinction of being the best big men in the league.
And as for the player Odom sees a version of himself, the lanky forward said it had to be Golden State’s Draymond Green.
“I like his style of play,” said Odom. “I like his intensity. Playing against a player like that will bring out the best in you and in some ways I’m looking at the mirror when I watch his game, and I think about my game right now.”