ducks
08-29-2003, 05:30 PM
Odom ready to start over with Heat
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) _ The Miami Heat knew signing Lamar Odom posed a risk. He could vault them into the playoffs or prove to be a player whose baggage outweighs his talent.
Odom's former club, the Los Angeles Clippers, took a swipe at him as he left, with team vice president Elgin Baylor questioning his character.
But the Heat, who signed him to a six-year, $65 million contract, think Odom can develop into the superstar he was touted to become when he entered the league as a teenager four years ago.
``I'll coach him on the court and if there's anything off the court I need to talk to him about, I'll do that,'' coach Pat Riley said. ``But he's basically a grown man. He has a family and he's on his own. I think he's ready to make that next step.''
Odom's new teammates didn't waste any time. They interrupted Odom's news conference Wednesday and pulled him onto a practice court for his first Miami workout.
``For those guys to come out to my press conference is awesome,'' Odom said. ``I made mistakes in the past, and for everyone not to prejudge is awesome.''
Heat veteran Brian Grant was among those there.
``Today's a new day,'' he said. ``I'm not looking at nothing that happened with Lamar in the past.''
Odom was suspended for eight games after violating the league's drug policy last November for marijuana use and previously served a five-game drug suspension in March 2001. When the Clippers chose not to match the Heat's offer for Odom, they did so based on what Baylor said were ``issues of character and other risks involved.''
But Riley, who wanted to draft Odom four years ago, says he has no such concerns. He likens the 23-year-old player's versatility to that of Magic Johnson, the centerpiece of Riley's Los Angeles Laker championship teams.
``This is a great kid, not a bad person,'' Riley said. ``He might have been naive and made some mistakes, but there's a lot of players in this league that have done that and gotten over it and gone on to great careers.''
Johnson was Odom's childhood idol while growing up in New York. And Riley's strict ways could benefit a player like Odom.
``He's mature enough now to take care of business,'' Riley said. ``He has a great opportunity here to show what he believes he can become.''
Odom played one season at Rhode Island before entering the NBA draft. He was chosen fourth overall by the Clippers in 1999.
He averaged 16.9 points in his first two seasons, and the Clippers brought in other young talent like Corey Maggette, Andre Miller, Quentin Richardson and Elton Brand. But the team never got close to the playoffs.
``I'm just ready for a clean slate,'' Odom said. ``I'm just happy to be here, happy to be given a second opportunity. Feels like a second chance on life at 23.''
Note: The following stories are the most recent wire transmissions from SportsTicker and other ESPN.com sources. Versions of some of these stories appear elsewhere on the service.
webpage or link whatever you like (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/gen/wire?messageId=23143798)
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) _ The Miami Heat knew signing Lamar Odom posed a risk. He could vault them into the playoffs or prove to be a player whose baggage outweighs his talent.
Odom's former club, the Los Angeles Clippers, took a swipe at him as he left, with team vice president Elgin Baylor questioning his character.
But the Heat, who signed him to a six-year, $65 million contract, think Odom can develop into the superstar he was touted to become when he entered the league as a teenager four years ago.
``I'll coach him on the court and if there's anything off the court I need to talk to him about, I'll do that,'' coach Pat Riley said. ``But he's basically a grown man. He has a family and he's on his own. I think he's ready to make that next step.''
Odom's new teammates didn't waste any time. They interrupted Odom's news conference Wednesday and pulled him onto a practice court for his first Miami workout.
``For those guys to come out to my press conference is awesome,'' Odom said. ``I made mistakes in the past, and for everyone not to prejudge is awesome.''
Heat veteran Brian Grant was among those there.
``Today's a new day,'' he said. ``I'm not looking at nothing that happened with Lamar in the past.''
Odom was suspended for eight games after violating the league's drug policy last November for marijuana use and previously served a five-game drug suspension in March 2001. When the Clippers chose not to match the Heat's offer for Odom, they did so based on what Baylor said were ``issues of character and other risks involved.''
But Riley, who wanted to draft Odom four years ago, says he has no such concerns. He likens the 23-year-old player's versatility to that of Magic Johnson, the centerpiece of Riley's Los Angeles Laker championship teams.
``This is a great kid, not a bad person,'' Riley said. ``He might have been naive and made some mistakes, but there's a lot of players in this league that have done that and gotten over it and gone on to great careers.''
Johnson was Odom's childhood idol while growing up in New York. And Riley's strict ways could benefit a player like Odom.
``He's mature enough now to take care of business,'' Riley said. ``He has a great opportunity here to show what he believes he can become.''
Odom played one season at Rhode Island before entering the NBA draft. He was chosen fourth overall by the Clippers in 1999.
He averaged 16.9 points in his first two seasons, and the Clippers brought in other young talent like Corey Maggette, Andre Miller, Quentin Richardson and Elton Brand. But the team never got close to the playoffs.
``I'm just ready for a clean slate,'' Odom said. ``I'm just happy to be here, happy to be given a second opportunity. Feels like a second chance on life at 23.''
Note: The following stories are the most recent wire transmissions from SportsTicker and other ESPN.com sources. Versions of some of these stories appear elsewhere on the service.
webpage or link whatever you like (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/gen/wire?messageId=23143798)