Athletes have long been idolized and looked upon as untouchable figures, almost seen as deities in some eyes. Kids all across the globe try to emulate these men and women, try to dress like them and I'm sure many "superfans" would even attempt to model their physical stature after these athletes if possible.
Whenever an individual is seen so highly, many people seem to forget that these people are in fact everyday people. Every year there seems to be a heartbreaking story in the sports world that serves as a reminder of this to us all. The latest story fitting this criteria is that of former NBA player Lamar Odom, who was admitted to a local hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada this past week.
Recently, former NBA star Lamar Odom was found unconscious in a local brothel in Pahrump, Nevada (just outside of Las Vegas). Odom was believed to have been taken large amounts of herbal Viagra according to police reports. As alarming as this news was, those familiar with Odom's background were not as shocked.
Sadly, Odom has had a history of substance abuse. Like many people before him, the use of these substances was a direct result of very traumatic events in his life.
Odom lost his mother at the ripe age of 12 and had a father addicted to heroin. These circumstances led him to attend several different high schools. Odom would go on to college, and continue to face adversity there as well before finally achieving his life-long dream of playing in the NBA. Sadly, trouble followed him into adulthood in the midst of his successful NBA career and he would eventually end up burying his 6 ½ month-old son due to SIDS. Odom was found using substances more than once in his NBA career, leading to a handful of violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
With the help of many friends and teammates, Odom remained a rather happy individual. While playing for the Lakers, from 2004-11, he was often cited as the happiest player on the team and was considered an ideal teammate. From the standpoint of a fan, Odom was always the type of player you would want to cheer for. He was always cordial to reporters, never shying away from any questions, he was never in the headlines for having issues in the locker room, and most importantly, he produced on the court.
The public would get a closer look into Odom's personal life after he tied the knot with Khloe Kardashian. Although I never personally watched Odom on the show, I never read any negative comments about him online or heard anything of that nature from fans of the show either. Odom, like any other individual who becomes associated with the Kardashians, had now become more than an NBA player, but now had put himself in the forefront of the public eye: reality TV. Although he was a well-liked individual, many of the details that he worked to keep private had now become the topic of many tabloids and the world was now aware of all of Lamar’s issues.
The strangest thing about this entire story is that Lamar Odom’s image still seemed to remain intact. Being a huge fan of the NBA, he was hardly scrutinized by the media or ever seen as a scapegoat on any team he was on, no matter what he was going through. The only thing that people seemed to remember about Lamar Odom is that he was a basketball player, and a very good one at that. And that is what we as a society tend to do too often.
No matter if you look at an athlete at the High School, University or Professional level, an athlete who performs well in their respective sport and has the personality to match their success is often seen as invincible or untouchable in a sense. While that may be true for some people, many of these athletes, much like Lamar Odom have so much trouble and despair that is present in their lives and their only escape is playing the sport they love or the comfort and attention they receive from their peers.
Many people wouldn’t dare to think twice that such tragic events could happen to someone who seems like they “have it all” or are “living the dream”. Yes, many people wish they could trade places with people like Lamar Odom and be able to live a lavish life and experience things that the average person could only imagine, but the truth is, each and every individual in this world is going through something. Almost everyone has done this at some point in their life. Things are not going well for them and they will proclaim things such as “I wish I could trade places with him” or “They’ve got it so easy”.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend like being a freak athlete or a celebrity or inheriting a large sum of money would not be great. My life would change instantly, but truth be told, I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up or experience my life in any other way. Many of those same people we choose to categorize like a celebrity or an individual who is above the rest of us, are often just as unhappy as you. As a society we have to realize that there is more to people than their net worth or their god given abilities.
At the end of the day, we will all go through hard times in life. We will lose loved ones, you might just miss the lottery by one number, and you might even get a flat tire on your way to work tomorrow, you never know. Just take a step back sometimes and realize that you never truly know what the person next to you is going through. The next time you see that 1st round projected Quarterback walking on campus or run into your favorite athlete, celebrity or whoever, just remember that they are human too. Be kind, be cordial and just remember that they are fighting their inner demons just like you.
