"I shook hands with death" - Lamar Odom recalls surviving near-fatal overdose

One of the saddest stories in the league's soon-to-be 80-year history is undoubtedly that of Lamar Odom. Even though he earned approximately $115 million in salary during his NBA career, became a two-time NBA champion, and won the Sixth Man of the Year award over his 14 seasons in the Association, everything that came afterward was pure chaos.

The former Los Angeles Lakers forward admitted he first fell into drug problems, specifically cocaine, in his early 20s during a summer stay in Miami. His mother passed away when he was 12, and his father was never around due to his own addiction issues, which led the young Lamar to swear he would never try cocaine.

However, after a series of family tragedies, including the death of his six-month-old son, cocaine became a substance he couldn't imagine living without, not just daily, but every free moment he had. It eventually led him to a situation where he almost died after an overdose.

"The doctors told me that right before I woke up from the coma, my kids had come by to see me. And that broke my heart, because I had seen my own mother on her deathbed, with tubes coming out of her mouth. My kids are the only things that kept me going. I've been a big strong dude my whole life, so anytime my kids see me in a weak point like that is definitely hard for me — even to talk about now. I shook hands with death. But you know what? Ain't no coming back from that," he wrote for"The Players' Tribune".

It's a miracle how Odom survived 2015 overdose

On October 13, 2015, Odom was found unconscious at the "Love Ranch" brothel in Nevada after an overdose and collapse caused by a mix of drugs and alcohol. He fell into a coma and was in critical condition for several days, with doctors giving him extremely slim chances of survival. The 6-foot-10 forward suffered kidney failure, six heart attacks and 12 strokes.

Even though he'd already had a long history of drug problems that made him the No. 1 trend on Google at the time, from the moment he barely survived the overdose, there hasn't been a single drug-related incident linked to him. This clearly suggests Odom kept the promise he made to his children. He later opened up about the complicated recovery from addiction.

"When I woke up, they told me I had 12 strokes and six heart attacks. So, I'm not even supposed to be here," he revealed, still stunned by his survival. "It got to be a purpose for me living; that's just scientifically impossible for somebody to have 12 strokes and six heart attacks and be living."

Related: Dwyane Wade says the Steph Curry–Under Armour split shows how much the sneaker industry is struggling

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel

It truly is a miracle that Odom survived, and his statement about shaking hands with death seems unbelievable in hindsight. It's a shame that a player often compared to Chicago Bulls icon Toni Kukoc, considered by many to be one of the greatest Europeans ever, had to face such battles after his career.

However, life circumstances pushed him to the edge, and he simply lost his compass, spiraling out of control. Still, if recent reports that he's been sober for a long time are true, then his story is a powerful lesson for anyone going through difficult moments in life, that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. And while Odom earned all the glory of lifting the Larry O'Brien trophy twice, in the battle for his life, he has lifted his greatest trophy of all.

Related: "We'd rather go throw $60,000 in the strip club... than go feed 2,500 people in the hood" - J.R. Smith regrets wasting NBA millions instead of helping his community

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.