Lamar Odom reflects on sobriety and the strength that saved his life
Lamar Odom opens up about reaching sixty days sober and overcoming addiction after doctors once said he might never walk or talk again.
When Lamar Odom sits down for a virtual interview to discuss an upcoming documentary, he has a running tally of things to be grateful for.
“When I woke up (from a coma ten years ago), the doctors told me I’d probably never walk and talk again,” he tells USA TODAY on March 24. “So us having this conversation is a win.”
The 6’10 two-time NBA champion headlines Netflix’s latest installment of its sports docuseries “Untold,” kicking off March 31. “Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom” chronicles the tragedies and hardships the athlete has faced in his 46 years, including his divorce from reality star Khloé Kardashian and his collapse at a now-demolished brothel on Oct. 13, 2015. Odom spent close to three months at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being found unresponsive at the Love Ranch, approximately 80 miles outside of Las Vegas.
Odom says that, three or four times, doctors advised family members “It might be good for you to say your final goodbyes” as he lay in coma for days.
“All of my doctors say I’m like a walking miracle because it’s, like, medically impossible for somebody to survive 12 strokes and six heart attacks while in a coma,” Odom says. “And so I just take it day by day, and I’m more than grateful for life.”
He’s thankful for the chance to share his perspective in “Untold” and a nearing milestone in his sobriety.
“I am almost 60 days completely sober,” he says with a palpable sense of accomplishment. “No pot, no alcohol (since Jan. 28). I think, with me, stopping the marijuana was probably the hardest.”
Odom was arrested on Jan. 17, 2026 in Las Vegas on suspicion of driving under the influence. He faces misdemeanor charges of DUI, driving more than 41 miles per hour over the speed limit, and failing to maintain travel in a street lane/improper lane change, according to Clark County, Nevada, court records reviewed by USA TODAY. Odom has pleaded not guilty, and a bench trial has been scheduled for July 7.In February, Odom completed a 30-day program at Los Angeles’ iRely Recovery center, where he says he learned more about his addiction, information he hopes to share with others.
“I have a certain type of mental and physical endurance, but when it comes to getting high and escaping, I’m just like everyone else,” he says. “If I could just help the average person and give them faith and hope that they can overcome it, then that’s probably one of the reasons why the Lord spared me.”
“Untold” revisits the heartbreaking losses in Odom’s life, including the 2006 death of his 6.5-month-old son Jayden, due to sudden infant death syndrome, as well of the 1992 passing of Odom’s mom, Cathy Mercer, from colon cancer.
“I’ve had a lot of reasons probably to do drugs,” Odom says. “My mother passed away when I was 12 years old. That alone would probably cause an addict to be an addict, a lot of people, for the rest of their lives. A lot of traumatizing things happened to me, at a very young age, but I can’t let that be the excuse, especially me knowing what addiction is and how it works.
“We all could make excuses, especially for failure,” he continues. “At this point in my life I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I just want to live my best life and be happy. I want to make the people around me happy.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental and/or substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free and confidential treatment referral and information service at 800-662-HELP (4357). It’s available 24/7 in English and Spanish (TTY: 800-487-4889).
Contributing: KiMi Robinson
