I recently read the Memoir titled Darkness to Light written by Lamar Odom with Chris Palmer. Let me clarify something- this is not the usual non-fic I reach for. I usually go for something historic or food related, but this book caught my eye- I’m a sucker for pop culture and I hate to admit but I am one of the millions of fans of the Kardashians. I remember well when Khloe was distraught over Lamar’s depression and I wanted to find out Lamar’s take on the Kardashians. Did he like them? Was he overwhelmed by the paparazzi? What really happened between him and Khloe? So I brought the book home from work and read it cover to cover.
Here are five things I learned about Lamar:
- Lamar cheated on his SATs.
- Lamar rose from extreme poverty to stardom due to hard work and skill.
- Lamar had someone else take a drug test for him so he could play basketball in the 2004 Olympics. His trainer, Robbie Davis took the drug test.
- Lamar has had sex with over 2000 women, mostly unprotected.
- Lamar married Khloe Kardashian in September 2009 after one month of dating.
Nothing prepared me for the last chapter. I had no idea that Lamar almost died due to his drug and alcohol addictions. He was found lifeless at the Love Ranch in Las Vegas and taken by ambulance to the hospital. Lamar’s heart had stopped twice, he had suffered twelve seizures and six strokes. His lungs collapsed and his kidneys ruptured. He was on life support. It appeared he was going to meet his maker. At the young age of 35, this one-time great was destined to be a has been.
Do I recommend this book? I do. Lamar had an absent drug-addicted father, lost his mother at the tender age of ten, and somehow he rose above and become a great basketball player. His highest accolade was being named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011. Even though Lamar’s basketball career was cut short due to drugs and alcohol, the book highlights his work ethic and his determination to rise above his lot in life.
A simple Google search revealed that today Lamar is worth 30 million dollars. He has a relationship with his two children and he appears to have turned his life around. The title of the book came from a quote his grandmother said to Lamar when he was young…”From darkness into Light, and you, Lamar, hold the light.” There is so much more to this book than a tell-all about another fallen sports player; instead the memoir gives the reader insight into the high stakes of playing and recruiting NBA Basketball players and the handling and treatment of their players.
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