Lamar Odom is prioritizing his sobriety above all else. Nearly three months after the two-time NBA champion was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and two other misdemeanor driving violations in Las Vegas, he has reflected on his journey towards becoming sober.
"Right now, I am completely sober – I don't even drink alcohol," Lamar said during an appearance on Page Six Radio on April 8th. He had pleaded not guilty to the Las Vegas charges last month. "If you educate yourself, addiction is a brain disease, just like cancer or any other disease. I don't think anyone would wish to have cancer."
The 46-year-old, who was married to Khloe Kardashian from 2009 to 2016, added, "As I learn more about this disease, the easier it becomes for me to stay sober." Furthermore, as he put it, "If you have an addictive mind, the last thing you want to do is feed it any type of drugs."
Following his January arrest, Lamar – who pleaded no contest in 2013 to a separate DUI charge in Los Angeles and survived a near-fatal drug overdose in 2015 – completed a 30-day program at a Los Angeles recovery center where he learned more about addiction and invested in his sobriety journey.
"I have been completely sober for almost 60 days," he told USA Today in an interview published on March 26th. "No pot, no alcohol. I think stopping the marijuana was probably the hardest for me."
Now, Lamar sees his story as one he can use to help others on their journeys. "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 continued. "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."
