The Khloe Effect: Will Kardashian Help or Hurt Lamar Odom's Basketball Career?

By Jo Piazza Posted Oct 27th 2009 08:50PM

The Los Angeles Lakers are starting a new season and the $33 million man everyone has their eye on is Lamar Odom. Of course basketball fans apparently care about what Lamar actually does on the court, but the rest of America is paying much more attention to his personal life with new bride Khloe Kardashian.

In fact, the kick-off of the Lakers season this week has already been overshadowed by Khloe and Lamar's trip to the tattoo parlor (K and L tats...too sweet). Here at PopEater we are wondering will marrying Khloe be a boom or a bust for Lamar? Our experts weigh in after the jump.

"When any of these poison Kardashians get their hands on a professional athlete, it usually results in a higher profile for the player, but a decrease in both playing time and physical ability. Look up Bush, Reggie," says Deadspin.com editor AJ Daulerio. "Odom just signed a fat contract in August so maybe he feels more secure about the decision than Mr. Bush did. I'd just worry that Mr. Odom exposes himself to possible injury since Khloe is larger and more intimidating than many of his NBA opponents. I wouldn't be shocked if he spends a good portion of the season on the disabled list."

As Daulerio mentions, Lamar isn't the first professional athlete to be caught in the wily web of the Kardashian family. Kim Kardashian is very much back on with her NFL running back boyfriend Reggie Bush after the pair took a brief summer hiatus. This time around Kim has made sure to make herself a staple at all of Bush's games. And while Reggie was flailing last season when the pair first hooked up maybe canoodling with Kim this time around has given his on-field mojo a boost (see, A-Rod and Hudson, Kate) because he has been a major part of the Saints 6-0 record this season.

Reggie Bush was also a relative newbie to the whole celebrity thing. Being a Laker, Odom was a celebrity in his own right before he got together with Khloe. Plus he is backed by a solid team that probably won't let him fail.

"Big free-agent contracts are much harder to live up to for role players who move to new cities and are expected to be stars. That's not the case with Odom, especially with Ron Artest coming in to join Kobe Bryant & Co. They might have the best defensive team in the NBA," says New York Daily News sports writer Jesse Spector.

Spector is actually more concerned with Odom's influence on poor Khloe. Before marrying the Kardashian, Odom was probably best known for his obsession with candy. He is so obsessed he has admitted that he eats candy for breakfast.

"Now, Khloe Kardashian is a lovely woman, but in Hollywood, where everyone is expected to be a waif, she gets called fat -- even after she's lost a significant amount of weight. For a lot of people who have lost weight, one of the easiest ways to keep it off is to change your grocery-shopping habits and not have junk food in the house. So, what happens there?" Spector wonders.

Don't worry Jess, we're sure the cameras will be rolling the entire time. So tune in and wait and see.

Tags: khloe kardashian, KhloeKardashian, lamar odom, LamarOdom, Los Angeles Lakers, LosAngelesLakers

Comments

(7)

Saturday 31 October

By mbonhamwolv

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I just looked at Lamar's career stats, and just don't see how being with Khloe Kardashian will help or hurt him in any way. Does anyone have a quarter I can flip to figure out how being with Khloe will affect Lamar's performance??

Tuesday 27 October

By ibehoneytoou

OHHHHHH PLeeze with no talent the best you can do is land a husband which would have probably been hard to land anyone if the mom had not pimped them out like there were about something with talent,,my Question is WHAT TALENT , Khloe has a big mouth ,,when she has to answer on a test of wits she resorts to cussing ,,because why ,,you guessed it, no talent to even fake what she doesnt know ~

By gry

It will definitely hurt him- Odom is going to get trash talked so bad for being married to such an ugly skank that the constant badgering about his horse faced old lady will take its toll, and his performance will reflect his anxiety.

Wednesday 28 October

By Sandy Pister

Who cares?

There's so much child and animal abuse in this world, that these two people generate interest is just beyond me, other than, no doubt, he's a terrific player.

She, on the other hand, is crude and abrasive.

By grant

I agree with you 1000 percent, how the hell are these pigs getting any type, I'm tired of hearing who can marry the ugliest black man they can find. I'm sure this will last for eternity, he probably is alread do other women

By Thisizme247

Are you serious what does who he married have anything to do with his basketball game like she's gonna run the floor with the man. So lame and after Lakers win last night clearly it hasnt affected his game and she was there by the way. Check his stats 16 points 13 rebounds, 5 assist, and 2 steals. Next topic people...

Saturday 30 April

By Kathy

All of you negative people are just haters...u don't have someone in ur life r or just jealous...talking about no talent..Udon't have any talent!

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