Lamar Odom shares why Khloe Kardashian attracted him so much
- Lamar Odom's successful basketball career and personal life peak coincided during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and his marriage to Khloe Kardashian.
Lamar Odom 's best years in Los Angeles were defined not only by his impact on the court, where he embraced a role off the bench to consistently be among the Sixth Man of the Year contenders and helped the Lakers secure back-to-back championships, but also by a period in his personal life when everything seemed to fall perfectly into place.
On the court, off the court, Lamar was thriving.
His personal life peak happened shortly after meeting TV sensation Khloe Kardashian; the two shared such an immediate and powerful connection that they got engaged and married in no time.
Years later, the two-time NBA champion made it clear what drew him so strongly towards Khloe, emphasizing how their bond was never manufactured for the cameras but entirely natural.
Lamar fell for Khloe at first glance
Lamar and Khloe met for the first time in August 2009 and within a few days, their relationship took a serious turn. By September of that same year, the couple decided to get engaged with the proposal famously aired on an episode of the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" show.
Even more remarkably, just nine days after their engagement, Lamar and Khloe decided to get married in a lavish Beverly Hills ceremony.
Now, considering the highly public nature of public relationships, especially when cameras are constantly present, many assume that such romances are exaggerated or carefully scripted for public consumption. However, Odom recently addressed those assumptions, stating that this was never the case with Khloe. According to him, emotions were genuinely pure all the time and never influenced by fame, television or outside pressure.
"It was probably her eyes," Odom said about what attracted him about Khloe the most in an interview with Ian Bick. "Her eyes might have been my mother's eyes a little bit. She was a truth teller; I always got the 'real' from her."
Lamar could never be faithful to Khloe
Unfortunately, their marriage eventually became overshadowed by controversy and personal struggles. After their wedding, rumors began circulating about Lamar's infidelity, which later proved to be true.
Moreover, as his battles with alcohol and drug abuse intensified, Lamar found himself unable to maintain stability in his personal life. While Khloe initially stood by him during some of his darkest moments and offered unwavering support as he attempted to rebuild himself, the foundation of their marriage had already begun to erode. Over time, the emotional connection and spark that once defined their relationship faded, leading the couple to ultimately part ways.
That being said, despite their separation, Lamar and Khloe have remained on good terms and continue to share a cordial relationship. And considering the honesty of Odom's recent reflections, along with the respect and admiration he still expresses toward his ex-wife, it is difficult to ignore the sense of regret that lingers within him on how things went.
Safe to say, the two-time NBA champion appears fully aware that while his time with Khloe was genuine and wholeheartedly meaningful, he wishes things had never gone so south as they did.
Related: Lamar Odom recalls the first time he tried cocaine: "It was kind of orgasmic"
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
