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Lamar Odom

December 10, 2011 by · Comments Off on Lamar Odom 

Lamar Odom, Friday was supposed to be about new beginnings for the Los Angeles Lakers as the team opened up training camp to start the season, but instead it was dominated by the fallout from Thursday’s trade that was ended by NBA commissioner David Stern.

Both Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol did not practice with the Lakers on the first day of training camp and both exited the facility without speaking to the media.

Odom reported more than 90 minutes late to the start of practice and more than three hours past the team’s 9:30 a.m. PT meeting time. He did not stay long, still dealing with hurt feelings over nearly being traded in a blockbuster for Chris Paul the night before.

“To me, I would think it’s better to stay away,” Odom told The Los Angeles Times. “You know, the energy and all. I don’t know how it’s going to go right now. It’s a little weird.”

Odom spoke to general manager Mitch Kupchak and then left without practicing. Before that meeting, Kupchak addressed the rest of the Lakers at the start of practice regarding the abnormal trade scenario that had occurred.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum said Kupchak wanted to clear the air and acknowledge the “awkward moment.”

Odom would have ended up with the Hornets, while Gasol would have gone to the Rockets in the three-team trade that would have brought Paul to Los Angeles. The deal was nixed by Stern, who said it wasn’t good for the Hornets. Paul did show up for Hornets camp Friday.

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