Sunday, March 22, 2009

Lamar Odom

Did anyone notice in the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated (March Madness issue) that there was both an article on professional athletes' losing their money and an elegy on Lamar Odom, the Lakers' forward who's had a difficult life, is seemingly in a good place, and, from the article, seems like an all-around nice guy?

But when you put the two articles together, do you wonder a) if the SI editors intended this juxtaposition, as Odom seems to be committing some of the financial errors that the players who are subject of the article on bankrupt former professional athletes, b) they missed the connection or c) if, in fact, Odom is doing better than most players financially and it's we who are missing the point? Somehow, I hope that Odom reads the whole issue and makes sure he puts away a good amount of his $14 million plus salary in safe investments, or else we'll be reading about his financial problems 5 years after he is playing.

Lamar Odom seems like a really good, wise guy who's learned from his experiences and makes everyone around him a happier, better person. Or so it seems from the article. Hopefully, he won't become another financial tragedy, as the financial corpses of many former players are discussed in an article in the same magazine.

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