Lamar Odom Vows To Return To NBA, But How Likely Is It?

Nearly two weeks have passed since Lamar Odom was discovered unconscious in a private suite in a Nevada brothel. Nearly one week has passed since Lamar Odom was transferred from Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. But while the location has changed, the view for Lamar Odom is likely the same. From his hospital bed, Lamar can see the machines that help the medical staff at Cedars-Sinai monitor his condition. He can see Khloe Kardashian, his formerly estranged wife, who reportedly hasn’t left his side since his October 13 hospitalization. Lamar Odom can also probably see a television. In three days, the 2015-2016 NBA season kicks off, and Lamar Odom won’t be on any court this year. He won’t wear any team’s uniform this season, but reportedly, he has vowed that he will again.

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According to a report from Hollywood Life, Lamar Odom has vowed to his family and his wife that he will play basketball again one day. An unidentified source reportedly told Hollywood Life that Lamar Odom hasn’t given up his dream of returning to the NBA.

“Lamar has vowed to Khloe, friends and family that he’ll return to the basketball court one day. Obviously, he needs a lot of rehab before that could ever happen, but it’s his end goal at the end of everything. Basketball is still his first love, and he’s always made sure to keep in shape, even when he was a free agent, in the hope that he may get signed again.”

Lamar Odom’s unshakable dream of suiting up for an NBA team shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s followed his career. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Odom spent most of the summer training in the hopes that an NBA team would give him another chance. According to Odom’s trainer, who spoke with TMZ after Odom’s hospitalization, the rigorous training program included twice daily sessions and helped Lamar drop 35 pounds since June. And it may have been working. Odom’s trainer claimed that the New York Knicks were in talks with Odom about a possible return.

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That was Lamar Odom’s world before October 13. Was it all for nothing, or could Lamar Odom beat the odds and return to a basketball court?

If reports about the damage Lamar Odom’s organs suffered on the night of October 13 are true, then he has significant obstacles standing between him and a return to the NBA.

For starters, TMZ reports that Lamar Odom had 12 strokes during the course of his medical emergency. According to the Foundation for Education and Research in Neurological Emergencies, how much damage Lamar Odom’s brain suffered during the strokes depends on the type of stroke and the location affected. Strokes can be caused by bleeding in the brain or by a lack of oxygen-rich blood getting to the brain. Each type carries a different prognosis. Lamar Odom’s family and medical team haven’t disclosed how much the strokes affected Lamar Odom’s mental capacity and motor skills, likely because they don’t know yet.

According to the Mayo Clinic, stroke rehabilitation therapy focuses on motor skills, strengthening of the affected limbs, communication, and emotional support. In other words, the months and years of Lamar Odom’s life will focus on recovering as much function as possible.

Even if Lamar Odom can return to the level of motor and cognitive function he had before the series of strokes, there is one more significant obstacle, his kidneys. According to various reports, Odom’s kidneys have failed and he remains on dialysis. According to UC Davis Transplant Center, acute kidney failure is usually reversible, but can take several weeks to resolve. In some cases, acute kidney failure can become end stage renal disease. If Lamar Odom’s luck runs out, he’ll be left with two choices: a lifetime of dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Unfortunately, Lamar Odom won’t play for the NBA in the 2015-2016 season. The 2016-2017 season may also be a long shot. But if the reports are true, Lamar Odom believes that he can beat the odds one more time, and that may make all the difference in his recovery.

[Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]