Tag: Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom is boxing Aaron Carter … and ex-UFC champ Chuck Liddell is the ref

Lamar Odom is boxing Aaron Carter … and ex-UFC champ Chuck Liddell is the ref.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on MMAJunkie. com.

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In this week’s sign of the apocalypse, Chuck Liddell is entering the boxing world … as a referee.

Liddell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, has signed on to officiate the Celebrity Boxing promotion’s upcoming match between 41-year-old former NBA standout Lamar Odom and 33-year-old singer/rapper/actor Aaron Carter. The event takes place June 11 at Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. It airs on pay-per-view.

If you need extra motivation when considering a potential purchase, the card also will feature 41-year-old music producer Cisco Rosado vs. 52-year-old rapper Peter Gunz. A referee for that match has not been announced.

Liddell, 51, came out of a retirement of more than eight years in 2018 to fight Tito Ortiz in a trilogy bout. After two wins over Ortiz while they were in the UFC, Liddell was stopped with a first-round knockout in their third fight. That gave him six losses in his final seven MMA bouts dating back to 2007, including six by knockout.

He won’t be fighting this time, but it’s not as if he’s uninterested these days. Earlier this week, Liddell said he could be “ready anytime” for a boxing match against Jake Paul. And while it’d be great to say that won’t ever happen, just take a look at the landscape these days. It’s more than possible.

When the bell clangs to start the match, there will be three men in the ring who are alums of “Dancing with the Stars,” which frankly might be a combat sports first.

Odom was a contestant on Season 28 in 2019 and was the third one eliminated with partner Peta Murgatroyd. Carter and Liddell were in the same Season 9 cast in 2009. Liddell and partner Anna Trebunskaya were the fifth team eliminated. Carter and partner Karina Smirnoff fell just short of the final and finished in fifth place.

So if the boxing thing goes awry next month for whatever reason and they have to settle things with a dance-off, the smart money appears to be on Carter.

Lamar Odom is boxing Aaron Carter … and ex-UFC champ Chuck Liddell is the ref

Lamar Odom is boxing Aaron Carter … and ex-UFC champ Chuck Liddell is the ref.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on MMAJunkie. com.

***

In this week’s sign of the apocalypse, Chuck Liddell is entering the boxing world … as a referee.

Liddell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, has signed on to officiate the Celebrity Boxing promotion’s upcoming match between 41-year-old former NBA standout Lamar Odom and 33-year-old singer/rapper/actor Aaron Carter. The event takes place June 11 at Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. It airs on pay-per-view.

If you need extra motivation when considering a potential purchase, the card also will feature 41-year-old music producer Cisco Rosado vs. 52-year-old rapper Peter Gunz. A referee for that match has not been announced.

Liddell, 51, came out of a retirement of more than eight years in 2018 to fight Tito Ortiz in a trilogy bout. After two wins over Ortiz while they were in the UFC, Liddell was stopped with a first-round knockout in their third fight. That gave him six losses in his final seven MMA bouts dating back to 2007, including six by knockout.

He won’t be fighting this time, but it’s not as if he’s uninterested these days. Earlier this week, Liddell said he could be “ready anytime” for a boxing match against Jake Paul. And while it’d be great to say that won’t ever happen, just take a look at the landscape these days. It’s more than possible.

When the bell clangs to start the match, there will be three men in the ring who are alums of “Dancing with the Stars,” which frankly might be a combat sports first.

Odom was a contestant on Season 28 in 2019 and was the third one eliminated with partner Peta Murgatroyd. Carter and Liddell were in the same Season 9 cast in 2009. Liddell and partner Anna Trebunskaya were the fifth team eliminated. Carter and partner Karina Smirnoff fell just short of the final and finished in fifth place.

So if the boxing thing goes awry next month for whatever reason and they have to settle things with a dance-off, the smart money appears to be on Carter.

Lamar Odom, former NBA star, signs deal to become boxer: report

Lamar Odom, the former NBA star, reportedly has signed a deal to become a professional boxer.

Now it’s Lamar Odom’s turn.

The 41-year-old former NBA player has signed a deal with Celebrity Boxing and will making his debut as a professional fighter on June 12 at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., TMZ is reporting.

Odom doesn’t have an opponent yet. Celebrity Boxing CEO Damon Feldman told TMZ he expects the newcomer to fight a celebrity.

The fate of the last NBA player to try boxing apparently didn’t scare off Odom. Nate Robinson was brutally knocked out by YouTube personality Jake Paul on Nov. 28, which made him the target of jokes on social media.

Odom played in the NBA from 1999 to 2014 and then made a comeback in 2018 before retiring. The 6-foot-10 forward helped the Lakers win back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010

He also gained notoriety outside basketball. He was married to Khloe Kardashian, with whom he had a reality series titled “Khloe & Lamar.” In 2015 he collapsed at a Nevada brothel and was hospitalized, after which he underwent treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

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Lamar Odom, former NBA star, signs deal to become boxer: report

Lamar Odom, the former NBA star, reportedly has signed a deal to become a professional boxer.

Now it’s Lamar Odom’s turn.

The 41-year-old former NBA player has signed a deal with Celebrity Boxing and will making his debut as a professional fighter on June 12 at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., TMZ is reporting.

Odom doesn’t have an opponent yet. Celebrity Boxing CEO Damon Feldman told TMZ he expects the newcomer to fight a celebrity.

The fate of the last NBA player to try boxing apparently didn’t scare off Odom. Nate Robinson was brutally knocked out by YouTube personality Jake Paul on Nov. 28, which made him the target of jokes on social media.

Odom played in the NBA from 1999 to 2014 and then made a comeback in 2018 before retiring. The 6-foot-10 forward helped the Lakers win back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010

He also gained notoriety outside basketball. He was married to Khloe Kardashian, with whom he had a reality series titled “Khloe & Lamar.” In 2015 he collapsed at a Nevada brothel and was hospitalized, after which he underwent treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

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Snapshot: A look back at Steve Francis, the bouncy, shifty point guard

With his athleticism and shifty dribble, Steve Francis was one of the most talented guards of his era.

When Steve Francis elevated off the floor and hung in the air, he was prepared to posterize someone if necessary.

Francis, who played his first five NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, was one of the bounciest and most athletic guards of his day. He had a shifty dribble that helped him regularly skirt past his opponents, ready to finish at the rim.

As the league’s 2000 Rookie of the Year, Francis made an immediate impact. He averaged 18.0 points per game, 6.6 assists and shot 34.5% from the 3-point line in his rookie season.

He made the 1999-00 All-Rookie first team, joining Elton Brand, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom and Wally Szczerbiak.

Francis’ scoring ability was the best attribute of his game. Francis had three seasons where he scored 20 or more points a game — two of those seasons were with Houston. The 2001-02 campaign marked the first of his three All-Star appearances, and it was also his best season scoring-wise.

During that season, Francis scored a career-high 21.6 points per game, grabbed a career-best 7.0 rebounds and dished 6.4 assists. According to NBA.com stats, Francis was fourth in rebounds per game among guards that season.

He played nine seasons, and the only time he didn’t average double figures in scoring was his last season in 2007-08, which was with the Rockets.

Though Francis had individual success, he didn’t go to the playoffs often. He made it to the postseason once in 2004, and the Rockets lost in five games against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first round.

Francis led the Rockets in scoring and assists during the series; he was second in rebounds behind Jim Jackson. Francis averaged 19.2 points per game, 7.6 assists and 8.4 rebounds in those five games.

After starting his career in Houston, Francis then played a season and a half for the Orlando Magic.

Francis was traded to the New York Knicks from Orlando during the 2005-06 season, and he played with New York through the 2006-07 season. Francis finished his career with averages of 18.1 points per game, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds. He shot 42.9% from the field and 34.1% from deep.

Despite not having many playoff appearances, Francis was one of the most talented guards of his era.

Perhaps more importantly, he was a predecessor for players like Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, two of the most explosive and athletic guards of all time.

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Snapshot: A look back at Lamar Odom, the electric playmaker

Former Lakers player Lamar Odom is one of the most unique players in NBA history.

Lamar Odom was impossible to put into a box as a basketball player, and that’s what made him fun to watch.

He could push the ball up the floor and pass well both in transition and in the halfcourt. Using his 6-foot-10 frame, he could blow past people with his crafty handles. In a sense, Odom was ahead of his time when he stepped on the floor.

Though considered a forward, his skill set was more than the traditional facets of the position.

Odom was simply an electric playmaker who glided along the court, with his graceful step making him hard to stop, especially in transition.

Odom had his best years with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team he played with for seven seasons. While with the Lakers, Odom averaged 13.7 points per game, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He had a 14-year career, and he boasts career averages of 13.3 points per game, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Though he wasn’t an All-Star, Odom won the Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2010-11 season, his last with the Lakers. He scored 14.4 points per game and shot a career-high 38.2% from the 3-point line that season.

He was instrumental for the Lakers’ championships in 2009 and 2010, being a complementary scoring option behind the late Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

Bryant is one of the best isolation scorers ever. But what made the Lakers a tough team during their championship runs was their effectiveness in all phases of offense: isolation, halfcourt and the fast break.

Odom was the captain of the break, and his stride and vision helped him thrive in fast-paced moments.

During the 2009 NBA Finals, Odom averaged 13.4 points per game and 7.8 rebounds. After the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in 2009, they defeated the Boston Celtics in 2010. Odom continued his solid play, averaging 7.6 points a game and 6.6 rebounds during that year’s Finals.

Odom played one more season with the Lakers after the 2010 title, and then he played his last two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers; Odom spent the first four seasons of his career with the Clippers.

Odom was essentially a point forward, with his predecessors being legends like Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen.

But even at 6-foot-9, Johnson was a point guard in the purest sense. Pippen was closer to Odom, but he still fit the mold of a traditional small forward more because he was a better scorer. Odom never averaged 20 or more points a game; Pippen has four such seasons in his career.

Now, big and long playmakers are the norm in the NBA. Ben Simmons, a lefty like Odom, is arguably the closest thing to the former Lakers player, with both players thriving the most in transition.

Regardless, Odom should be appreciated for his own unique skill set. He’s almost impossible to compare, and when he was on the floor, he always showed something different compared to his peers.

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1999 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

There were no superstars in this draft, but we can’t really complain about depth.

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There were no superstars in this draft, but we can’t really complain about depth.

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