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Former Lakers Star Lamar Odom Pens Raw and Emotional Instagram Tribute to Kobe Bryant

By Adam Weinrib

Lamar Odom pens emotional tribute to Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant
Lamar Odom pens emotional tribute to Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant /

Kobe Bryant was larger than life, thanks in part to the many lives he touched (and helped save).

Former Lakers champion Lamar Odom has lived through plenty of devastating downs during his roller coaster life, surviving addiction and battling out of a coma after his 2009 and 2010 NBA championships as a member of the Lake Show (and, first and foremost, as one of Kobe's trusted allies).

Odom took to Instagram to discuss the monstrous hole of Bryant's early departure, as well as the stunning breadth of their friendship.

View this post on Instagram

These picture are just the tip of the iceberg of our relationship. He taught me so many things in life that were necessary on and off the court. On the court he taught me how to carve out defenses and how to take my time. How to make winning my ultimate goal. Off the court he taught me to sign my own checks lol. Of course anyone who knows my story knows I’ve suffered a lot of loss but the only loss I can compare this to is when I lost my son. Even though our relationship wasn’t father/son, it was more like him being a teacher and me being his brother. I’m glad I got to be the ying to your yang as far as the locker room was concerned. It was my pleasure. I couldn’t even catch my breath today when I heard this news. I just knew if he was in a helicopter crash he would have been the one to survive. Somehow he would have jumped out and landed on his feet. I’m sitting here thinking about when we would be in practice scrimmaging and you would start the jump ball off with elbowing Sasha in the chest. Like dude it’s 10:30 in the morning lol. You think watching him play was crazy, you gotta think in practice if you scored like 8-9 buckets throughout the practice you had a great practice. I’ve seen him knock off 13-14 in a row in practice!!!! I’m still waiting for the media to come out and say wrong report. No way God took my brother this early. I know I been through my own stuff in life with using drugs and not being good to myself. When I went through that Coma situation if God would have came to me and said we would take me and spare Kobe I would have rather that happened. In honor of my brother I’m up at 4am tomorrow to get to the gym! Gigi gone give you buckets!!!! I love you brother ???? @kobebryant

A post shared by Lamar Odom (@lamarodom) on

Though the entire paragraphs-long recollection of Bryant hits tremendously hard, this passage could strike daggers into even the coldest heart: "No way God took my brother this early. I know I been through my own stuff in life with using drugs and not being good to myself. When I went through that Coma situation if God would have came to me and said we would take me and spare Kobe I would have rather that happened."

Of course, when Odom was at his darkest place, Bryant was by his side, convenience be damned.

Not shockingly, however, Odom chose the end of his remembrance to announce he'd be getting shots up early Monday morning in honor of Bryant. Even in death, all the Mamba does is motivate.