Lamar Odom: “If you have talent and you go to Miami, it’s going to be maximized.”

Lamar Odom is no stranger to Heat Culture. In his one season with the team, Odom averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 9.7 rebounds. In a recent interview with the Vertical, Odom reflected on his career including his short time with the Heat.

He explained how demanding the Heat’s culture is saying:

“In Miami, if you don’t go hard, you can’t play there. That’s why I respect their program and their tradition and their style of basketball even to this day, even though they didn’t make it to the playoffs last year. Because I played there and I understand them, I can still watch them. I know what they’re going through in practice. They’re getting pushed to the limit. So if you have talent and you go to Miami, it’s going to come out and be maximized.

“We had Wade, Caron Butler, Eddie Jones, Rasual Butler, Rafer Alston, Brian Grant. We had a good nucleus. We had a gritty team, blue-collar. I took the Heat philosophy for my whole career. When I watch basketball now, I watch it through the eyes of somebody that played for the Heat.”

Lamar Odom has faced a lot of hurdles in his life, especially recently. It’s great to see him doing well and talking basketball once again. Below are some highlights (albeit grainy) of Odom’s time with Miami.