Lamar Odom Apologized to Teammates Before Return

Before returning from a 10-day, midseason hiatus last night, Lamar Odom apologized to his teammates for sticking with him through troubling times and asked them for their support. Then after his comeback performance—in which he scored 9 points and grabbed 5 boards—Odom praised owner Mark Cuban for sticking with him. Here’s hoping things get better for the 6-10 forward. Via ESPNDallas: “Soft-spoken and typically introspective, Lamar Odom did not disclose the personal issue that took him away from the Dallas Mavericks for 10 days and pushed his team’s patience with him to the brink, but he did open up about finding resolution and his commitment to the organization. In his highly scrutinized return to the team Saturday night, playing in his first game since Feb. 20, Odom apologized to his teammates moments before the opening tip and asked for their patience and support. He said he never asked for nor did he want a buyout as had been rumored, saying that he is ‘lucky’ and ‘blessed’ to be with the Mavs organization, and he praised owner Mark Cuban for standing by him. ‘It was really personal and it was something I had to tend to,’ Odom said of the issue that suddenly forced him to leave the team on Feb. 22. ‘Mark Cuban is a great owner for understanding. Sometimes we have to fix whatever’s going on off the court in order for us to fix what’s going on on the court.’ Asked if he found resolution to his personal issue to allow him to remain focused for the rest of the season, Odom said, ‘I don’t see why not. Everything’s OK.’ As for teammates that had begun to question his commitment, including Jason Kidd, who said on Friday that Odom will have to earn their trust, Odom said, ‘I just told them to stick with me and at this point in time in my life I need them.’ His teammates told him they need him, too.”