Lamar Odom Wins 6th Man of the Year Award

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Yeah yeah. The Lakers are a deep team, Kobe has a lot of help, blah blah blah. Don't hate, appreciate. Moving along...

Lakers' Lamar Odom Top Sixth Man

By Dave McMenamin
ESPNLosAngeles.com

LOS ANGELES -- Lakers forward Lamar Odom won the Sixth Man of the Year Award as the league's top reserve Tuesday.

"This has been a long time coming," said the 31-year-old Odom. "I just kept at it.

"At the end of the day, I'm blessed. Some people call it luck, I call it blessed."

Odom averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 53 percent from the field, the highest shooting mark of his 12-year career.

Lakers forward Lamar Odom talks about the career path that has led him to winning the 2010-2011 NBA 6th Man of the Year award.

The only requirement to win the award is for a player to come in as a reserve more games than he starts. Odom started 35 games and entered off the bench in 47. He was a starter for long stretches of the season while center Andrew Bynum was sidelined with injuries.

"I'm very happy for him," Kobe Bryant said after the Lakers' workout Tuesday. "It's extremely well-deserved."

Many of Odom's teammates, including Bryant, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Luke Walton and Shannon Brown, attended the presentation ceremony that was held in the ballroom at a Los Angeles-area hotel.

"There's a couple that I wish that was here to see it," an emotional Odom said, fighting back tears.

Odom's six-month-old son, Jayden, died in the summer of 2006 because of sudden infant death syndrome. Odom's mother, Cathy, died of colon cancer when he was just 12 years old. His grandmother, Mildred Mercer, who raised him as a youth, died in 2003. He writes a tribute to each of them on his sneakers before every game.

When a player is in the playoffs and is in line to win one of the NBA's annual awards, the league will often schedule the press conference prior to what could potentially be the team's last home game so that there can be an additional presentation of the award in front on the player's hometown fans.

The Lakers trail their best-of-seven first round series against the Hornets 1-0 and the series shifts to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4, meaning that Wednesday's home game would be the last in the case of an unlikely sweep by the Hornets.

Sixth Man Curse?

Allen Winning the sixth man award is great news for Lamar Odom, but it could be bad news for the Lakers. Since the first award was handed out for the 1982-83 season, just four players have won it and the NBA title in the same season. The last player to pull off the "double" was Toni Kukoc in 1995-96. Here's the rest of the list:
Season    Team
'95-96    Toni Kukoc    Bulls
'85-86    Bill Walton            Celtics
'83-84    Kevin McHale    Celtics
'82-83    Bobby Jones    Sixers

Earlier in the season Odom said if he ended up winning the award he would place the trophy on the scorer's table at center court for the duration of the game as a symbol of his appreciation for the fans.

"When I started to come off the bench, [the fans] just started to give me a round of applause that they've never given me before," Odom said. "They kind of let me know that they appreciated me and that felt really good ... That's something that I'll never forget."

Along with the trophy, Odom received a new Kia Sorento CUV that he will donate to the Lakers Youth Foundation.

Odom is the first player in Lakers history to win the award, which has been presented since 1983. He finished sixth in the voting in 2010. Atlanta's Jamal Crawford won it last season.

"Lamar could realistically start for any team in this league but his team-first attitude has allowed us to utilize him in a sixth man role," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement released by the team. "He could have won this award in any of the last several seasons and I'm happy that his unselfishness and talent have finally been recognized."

At the press conference Kupchak was more firm in his stance, calling Odom's selection as the league's top sixth man "long overdue." The GM also praised Odom for promoting team chemistry, calling him the most popular player in the Lakers locker room.

Odom received 96 of 117 first-place votes from the media panel, easily outdistancing Dallas guard Jason Terry, who finished a distant second with 244 total points to Odom's 513. Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young was third with 76 points, and Boston's Glen Davis finished fourth with 75.

Crawford received five first-place votes while finishing fifth, and Philadelphia's Lou Williams received a single first-place vote.

Odom was a starter during his first nine NBA seasons with the Clippers, Heat and Lakers, but moved primarily to a reserve role during the 2008-09 season. The Lakers won the NBA championship that year and the next, with Odom coming off the bench for all but five of Los Angeles' 46 playoff games.

Odom initially bristled at moving to the bench when Lakers coach Phil Jackson proposed it in training camp prior to the 2008-09 season.

"With my competitive spirit, at first I didn't accept it," Odom said. "I remember when Phil told me he wanted me to do it, I walked into the locker room and I see Pau, Kob', D [Derek Fisher] and a healthy Andrew [Bynum] and I kind of got the point. I understood right away that it would make our team a much deeper team."

Odom, who has never been an All-Star in his career after being selected with the No. 4 pick by the Clippers in 1999, said winning the award offers a bit of vindication.

"There was a point in my career where I think people were ready to call me an underachiever," Odom said. "I think winning an award like this is kind of right at those people that were ready to call me an underachiever."

Odom also played for the U.S. national team at last summer's world championships.

"It's good recognition of a player that has really filled a role for us the last couple of years," said Jackson, who advocated Odom for his first All-Star berth after his outstanding start to the current season. "To be named to the USA team was really big for him, and to start on that team was important."

Although Odom comes off the bench, he's a vital member of Los Angeles' rotation. He struggled in the Lakers' playoff-opening loss to New Orleans on Sunday, managing just 10 points and one rebound in nearly 31 minutes of play.

Odom's wife, reality-TV star Khloe Kardashian, and his mother-in-law attended the award news conference. Odom and Kardashian starred in a reality series about their married life that was filmed down the stretch of the regular season and is currently airing on the E! network.

Odom and Kardashian say they both considered the potential for distractions from the show, both while filming and after it started airing. The show is frequently a topic of conversation at the Lakers' practices, although mostly for teasing Odom.

"Just from experience and from talking to Lamar, I don't think it was a distraction," Kardashian said. "Lamar isn't the kind of guy that gets distracted by things like that. During the season, he's very focused on what he has to do for his team."

A lighter moment occurred not long after Odom's emotional display when a reporter asked what Odom planned to get for his teammates as a thank you gift after Bryant handed out expensive watches to the team following his MVP campaign.

"Maybe I'll get them a bottle of me and Khloe's fragrance," Odom said with a smile, referring to the "Unbreakable" brand he developed with his wife. "Or maybe I'll give them a DVD of the first season of the show."

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

He deserves it. When we play the Lakers, I actually worry about Odom more than anybody. Kobe's tough of course, but we have managed to keep him under control as of late, and force him into some bad shots. Odom is inconsistent, but when he's hittin his jumper he's a tough matchup.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

He deserves it. When we play the Lakers, I actually worry about Odom more than anybody. Kobe's tough of course, but we have managed to keep him under control as of late, and force him into some bad shots. Odom is inconsistent, but when he's hittin his jumper he's a tough matchup.

True. I love it when defenders don't take his range seriously and he buries a 3 pointer.

[Citizen-Y]

Lamar and Khloe, both are the 6th man on their teams

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Lamar and Khloe, both are the 6th man on their teams

[Chamillitary Click]

Psh. Hate this award. Dude should be starting on 98% of the rest of the teams on the league.

[Halu Sination]

Psh. Hate this award. Dude should be starting on 98% of the rest of the teams on the league.

I dont hate this award, but I do agree that Odom should not be a "6th man" lol. Its all good though, the winners of these awards rarely are. Manu Ginobili anyone?

[Chamillitary Click]

Psh. Hate this award. Dude should be starting on 98% of the rest of the teams on the league.

I dont hate this award, but I do agree that Odom should not be a "6th man" lol. Its all good though, the winners of these awards rarely are. Manu Ginobili anyone?

Yeah, he's not either. He's actually worse, because he tells Pop he'd rather come off the bench. At least Odom just doesn't start because the Lakers have better options for him in the rotation (even though he's better than Artest) lol.

But I guess at the end of the day, nobody is really that honored for being the "best sixth man ever" lol, so whatever.

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Psh. Hate this award. Dude should be starting on 98% of the rest of the teams on the league.

I dont hate this award, but I do agree that Odom should not be a "6th man" lol. Its all good though, the winners of these awards rarely are. Manu Ginobili anyone?

Yeah, he's not either. He's actually worse, because he tells Pop he'd rather come off the bench. At least Odom just doesn't start because the Lakers have better options for him in the rotation (even though he's better than Artest) lol.

But I guess at the end of the day, nobody is really that honored for being the "best sixth man ever" lol, so whatever.

Nope. It was known Ginobli hated to have to come off the bench. That was Pops decision cus it made their second unit so much stronger.  It was smart at the time cus Manu was playing the same amount of minutes, just going against other teams bench players. But I agree, its a stupid award.

[Halu Sination]

Psh. Hate this award. Dude should be starting on 98% of the rest of the teams on the league.

I dont hate this award, but I do agree that Odom should not be a "6th man" lol. Its all good though, the winners of these awards rarely are. Manu Ginobili anyone?

Yeah, he's not either. He's actually worse, because he tells Pop he'd rather come off the bench. At least Odom just doesn't start because the Lakers have better options for him in the rotation (even though he's better than Artest) lol.

But I guess at the end of the day, nobody is really that honored for being the "best sixth man ever" lol, so whatever.

I don't want to say there's no honor in the award, but I gotta admit, even though he's underachieved a little bit as far as personal accolades go, Odom has been one of the most naturally talented players in the league since the moment he stepped foot in it, so while I do think Odom would appreciate the recognition of this award, it almost feels like a demotion to see him get it lol.

In any case, there are way too many loopholes when considering candidates for this award, and guys like Manu and Odom are exposing it. That's why I don't think its really worth the "is this guy really a '6th man'?" debates anymore, I say the NBA's ruling is fine. If he's been on the bench more than he's started for that season, he's a bench player lol.

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Psh. Hate this award. Dude should be starting on 98% of the rest of the teams on the league.

I dont hate this award, but I do agree that Odom should not be a "6th man" lol. Its all good though, the winners of these awards rarely are. Manu Ginobili anyone?

Yeah, he's not either. He's actually worse, because he tells Pop he'd rather come off the bench. At least Odom just doesn't start because the Lakers have better options for him in the rotation (even though he's better than Artest) lol.

But I guess at the end of the day, nobody is really that honored for being the "best sixth man ever" lol, so whatever.

I don't want to say there's no honor in the award, but I gotta admit, even though he's underachieved a little bit as far as personal accolades go, Odom has been one of the most naturally talented players in the league since the moment he stepped foot in it, so while I do think Odom would appreciate the recognition of this award, it almost feels like a demotion to see him get it lol.

In any case, there are way too many loopholes when considering candidates for this award, and guys like Manu and Odom are exposing it. That's why I don't think its really worth the "is this guy really a '6th man'?" debates anymore, I say the NBA's ruling is fine. If he's been on the bench more than he's started for that season, he's a bench player lol.

Or just scrap the award.

[7even]

my nigga terry would have gotten it if he hadnt been such a bitch nigga during the last weeks of the season

[OG Hack Wilson]

Slowdom is still over-rated and wouldn't get so much media love if he wasn't such a friendly ass vanilla guy with a famous wife

[Chamillitary Click]

Yeah. Lamar is like too good for the award, that's my beef.

But it's all good.

[BLUNTTYMECC]

congrats to LO...haters gon hate