Court records show the former NBA star Lamar Odom was taken into custody early Saturday. He was charged with DUI and cited for two traffic violations, per TMZ. The news has quickly spread online, leaving fans worried and once again reminded of how public Odom’s struggles have been.
According to the records, Odom is accused of driving more than 41 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. He was also cited for an improper lane change or failing to maintain his lane. As of midday Saturday, he was still listed as being in custody. Those details alone have raised serious concern among those who have followed his journey over the years.
Odom is scheduled to appear in a Nevada court on March 17, where the case will officially move forward.
The arrest comes amid Odom’s long and well documented history with substance abuse. In 2013, People confirmed that he entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility one week after a DUI arrest in California. That case resulted in a plea deal, which marked yet another difficult chapter in a life that has often played out in the spotlight.
As part of that agreement, Odom received three years of probation. He was ordered to complete a three month alcohol education program and pay approximately $1,800 in fines and penalties. At the time, many hoped it would be a turning point for the former champion.
In his 2019 memoir, Darkness to Light, Odom opened up in heartbreaking detail about the near fatal overdose he suffered in 2015 at a Las Vegas brothel. He wrote that he overdosed on cocaine, alcohol, and cannabis. He said his heart stopped twice. He also suffered multiple seizures and strokes.
His lungs collapsed. His kidneys failed. He was placed on life support and later transferred to a Los Angeles hospital, where he remained until January 2016. Those revelations gave the public a raw and painful look at just how close he came to losing his life.
Odom previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers and won two NBA championships, building a career that made him one of the league’s most recognizable faces. He was married to Khloé Kardashian from 2009 to 2016, a relationship that brought him even more attention beyond basketball.
He shares two children, Lamar Jr. and Destiny, with ex girlfriend Liza Morales. His son Jayden died in 2006 at six months old from sudden infant death syndrome, a devastating loss that Odom has spoken about publicly in the past.