Lamar Odom said Kobe Bryant helped him overcome gambling debt: "I gathered up the strength, put my pride to the side and gave him a call"

Lamar Odom said Kobe Bryant helped him overcome gambling debt: “I gathered up the strength, put my pride to the side and gave him a call” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Lamar Odom’s career and life were marked by a series of controversies that often left many hesitant to stand by him. He carried an unfiltered openness about his battles — addiction, loss, near-death experiences. And for years, it seemed the public watched his unraveling like a slow-motion car crash.

But in the eye of that storm, there was one bond he held sacred. One friendship he was grateful to keep, even when most others faded.

That was Kobe Bryant.

For Odom, that true friendship came at a moment when he needed it the most — when he was drowning under the weight of gambling debts, carrying secrets too heavy to share with just anyone.

Bryant coming through

The NBA may have given Odom fame, rings and millions, but it didn’t shield him from bad habits.

At one point, gambling debts stacked higher than he could manage. The money wasn’t coming in like before, and the lifestyle he had grown used to was now unsustainable. He thought for a while before deciding to reach out to one of basketball’s most celebrated icons.

“If you are in a bad situation, especially about some money, he ain’t the one that you’re going to want to call,” Odom said of Bryant. “Maybe if you have a way to work off the money or you don’t say or just to hold something, you ain’t gonna want that. One time, I gathered up the strength, put my pride to the side, and gave him a call.”

That call wasn’t easy. Not to Bryant. He wasn’t the friend who encouraged self-pity or who offered handouts lightly. But he was the friend who never flinched when someone needed real help. For Odom, that meant more than money. It meant accountability. It meant someone believed he was still worth saving even when he wasn’t sure.

Their history ran deep. Lamar joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 as part of the Shaquille O’Neal trade package. While his first few years in L.A. were rocky, everything clicked when Phil Jackson returned and brought the triangle offense back to life.

Alongside Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, Odom evolved from a confused talent into the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2011. He was never the superstar, but he was the glue. The X-factor who could defend, shoot and pass at a high level — all while making Bryant’s relentless push for greatness a little more manageable.

Their bond was built in practice gyms and playoff wars through back-to-back championship runs in 2009 and 2010. Off the court, it was more layered. Odom was the laid-back soul, the streetwise kid from Queens who had lived through tragedy.

Forming a bond

Odom and Bryant found mutual respect in their work ethic and shared understanding of loss. The NY native had lost his mother at age 12, then his grandmother and later his own son. Bryant lost his childhood stability bouncing between countries, then later lost his own reputation during the 2003 sexual assault scandal.

Bryant never turned his back when Odom faltered — whether from drug overdoses or bad headlines. It was a true bond.

Odom’s admiration for Bryant stretched far beyond the basketball court.

While most fans saw the five-time champion as cold, calculated and fiercely competitive, the 6’10” forward saw the man behind that armor. He paid attention to the way Bryant handled his family, the way he worked in silence, the way he faced criticisms, and the way he demanded more from people he cared about.

“I learned so much about him; I love him so much,” Odom said. “Off the court, or just by being a fly on the wall.”

Even after Bryant’s tragic death in 2020, Odom kept holding on to the lessons. He speaks about him in reverence and remembrance — like someone who never took the friendship for granted. The former NBA star has worked to rebuild his life in recent years.

He’s been open about addiction recovery, started a wellness business, and even returned to public life with a renewed sense of clarity. The shadow of Bryant lingers in his talk, his pauses before answering certain questions, and his insistent on being better.

That’s what Bryant gave him. A reason to rise again.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.

Lamar Odom said Kobe Bryant helped him overcome gambling debt: “I gathered up the strength, put my pride to the side and gave him a call”

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