Lamar Odom was asked by TMZ to put together an all-time lineup of Basketball greats and he gave an answer that typifies his unusual behavior. The brief conversation took place outside Bling Dragon, a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, while Odom sucked on the complimentary hard candy handed on by the wait staff. Odom listed the usual suspects: "Magic Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, LeBron," before posting a cheeky grin, and listing himself as the missing 5th member.
In theory, an efficient lineup by professional standards, is contingent on some players on the floor accepting a role that is more or less "figurant." When Odom signed an offer sheet with the Miami Heat in 2003, it was his last as the main scoring vessel on an NBA team. By season's end, Odom was shipped to the Lakers as part of the Shaquille O'Neal trade, which also served as a nasty divorce for Big Diesel and Kobe Bryant. On a competitive Lakers' side that won two Championships with Pau Gasol at the 4 spot, Odom was able to establish his resilience as a multifunctional player.
Much has been said about Odom's ability to adapt in-game to lineup shuffles and defensive match ups. In that sense, he might be deserving of a spot on a "Dream Team Starting 5," but I digress. We can revisit his case for inclusion when he enters the Hall of Fame alongside the other names' listed (and LeBron James).