Odom Keeps Finding Himself in Unexpected Places

ATHENS — Olympian Lamar Odom. Who could have seen it coming?

He was the classic underachiever, his four seasons with the Clippers marred by long stints on the injured list and two suspensions for marijuana use.

When Odom joined the Miami Heat and Pat Riley as a free agent last summer, critics chided Miami for overpaying a player with a checkered past. At best, Odom was considered a longshot to play in an NBA All-Star game, let alone represent the United States on the world's biggest athletic stage.

Still, it has been in the back of his mind for a dozen years. In 1992, as a 12-year-old, he watched the first Dream Team, the first squad of professionals to compete for Olympic gold. He watched his boyhood hero, Magic Johnson, play with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and the rest of the stars of the day.

"I saw them on television," Odom said, "and decided I wanted to play in the Olympics and have been dreaming of what it would be like ever since."

In the last year, Odom has been able to realize that dream by pulling off the ultimate makeover.

At Miami, the 6-foot-10 Odom emerged as one of the league's most versatile players by leading the Heat into the second round of the playoffs. After his transformation, Odom was the key player the Lakers sought in the blockbuster trade of Shaquille O'Neal to Miami.

The highlight of Odom's 12-month overhaul, though, was his addition to the U.S. Olympic team, which opens pool play against Puerto Rico today.

"I remember when I couldn't buy a spot on a national team," Odom said. "Not necessarily because I wasn't a good player, but people had other concerns about me and I was left off."

That's why Odom was stunned when Olympic Coach Larry Brown told him after an NBA game between Miami and Brown's Detroit team that he hoped to get Odom on the U.S. team.

"Man, I just didn't believe him when he said that," Odom said. "I had a pretty good night. I was hitting shots, making passes, grabbing rebounds and playing defense. Just an all-around good game.

"Then [Brown] tells me that he's going to do whatever he can to get me on the team. There really was nothing I could say after that."

With the honor, Odom knows, comes an obligation to live up to high standards.

"With that first Dream Team, players on the other teams were taking pictures with Michael, getting autographs," Odom said. "Now, these guys just want to beat us."