The Toronto Raptors center becomes the second player to win an NBA title and a FIBA world gold medal in the same year, joining Lamar Odom — who did it for the Los Angeles Lakers and USA Basketball in 2010. Gasol also became the 19th to win either an NBA or WNBA crown along with a gold medal, either of the Olympic or World Cup variety, in the same year. The first 18 all did it for the U.S. This time, Vamos España! “NBA champion and a World Cup champion as well,” Gasol said. “What can I say? How does it sound to you? I feel very fortunate to be in this position and be able to play this game and help these guys be part of history of Spanish basketball.”
Lamar Odom Rumors
All NBA Players
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Lamar Odom
Position: -
Born: 11/06/79
Height: 6-10 / 2.08
Weight:225 lbs. / 102.1 kg.
Earnings: $115,967,658 ($146,256,068*)
Born: 11/06/79
Height: 6-10 / 2.08
Weight:225 lbs. / 102.1 kg.
Earnings: $115,967,658 ($146,256,068*)
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Lamar Odom, LeBron James, and Kyrie Irving. Those are the only five players to win an NBA title and a gold medal in the same year, whether it was in FIBA or Olympic competition, with Pippen doing it twice. It is an exclusive club – one that Marc Gasol is on the cusp of joining.
Brad Townsend: I guess Lamar Odom’s 2012 apology to Mavs fans and @Mark Cuban “for not being myself” during his drug-addled time in Dallas wasn’t sincere. In his forthcoming book he accuses Cuban of kicking him in the shin during a game, to which Cuban tells me, “I wish Lamar nothing but the best.”
Lamar Odom: When I arrived in Dallas, my first conversation with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fairly routine. “Lamar, we’re really excited to have you,” said Cuban. “You’re coming off a great year and will be a big part of what we do. I can’t wait to see you and Dirk [Nowitzki] on the court together.” It was really just jerk-you-off bullshit. I was as professional and cordial as I could possibly be, but I was already planning my escape. I simply did not want to be in Dallas. My mind was in such a funk, I knew I was never going to recover. I had to go about the normal routine of arriving in a new city despite the fact I was in a haze. Meet my new teammates. Greet season ticket holders. Learn the playbook. Find a place to live. Do interviews. On top of that, I had my obligation to Khloé & Lamar.
“You’re so fucking slow and out of shape,” Cuban screamed at me during a dead ball situation early in my ill-fated tenure with the Mavs. “Waste of fucking money.” “What the fuck are you doing?” “Hustle, dammit!” “This is just awful.” The owner of the team was heckling me. He was cursing me out in front of fans and players. It said “Dallas” on my chest. I play for you, asshole! Would Jerry Buss, owner of the Lakers, ever do something like this? Would any decent human? And the players on my new team, guys I barely knew, were watching all of this play out. I had no idea what they thought of me. But how could they possibly respect me if I didn’t stand up for myself?
I wanted to lash out. I had fantasies of just walking up to him and sucker-punching him. I needed to take my aggression out, but I kept it as cordial as possible whenever we were on the team plane or in the locker room. I’d give him a half smile and my least threatening voice. I had to placate him. Convince him I wasn’t a physical threat. Because I wasn’t going to win if I went down that path. But apparently, he didn’t have any problem being physical with me.
The former White House press secretary joins ex-NBA player Lamar Odom, “Bachelorette” Hannah Brown, “Queer Eye” star Karamo Brown and actor James Van Der Beek as part of the Season 28 cast of “Dancing with the Stars,” which was announced Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” As Page Six previously revealed, Christie Brinkley is also joining the competition. Rounding out the contestant pool are NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, pop star Ally Brooke, comedian Kel Mitchell, actress Kate Flannery, country star Lauren Alaina and The Supremes’ Mary Wilson.
