Lamar Odom Biography Lamar Joseph Odom was born on November 6, 1979, is an American professional basketball forward for the Los Angeles Lakers. Odom was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York. His father was a heroin addict & his mother died of colon cancer when he was 12 years old. He was raised by his grandmother Mildred. In his first 3 years of high school, Odom played for Christ The Ki... more.