Lamar Odom Says Taraji P. Henson Was Once His "Inspiration" To Win On The Court

BY Erika Marie 6.3K Views
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Lamar Odom, Taraji P. Henson
The former Lakers star has nothing but nice things to say about his ex.

He may be madly in love with his girlfriend Sabrina Parr, but it's obvious from Lamar Odom's episode of Uncensored that he still has love and respect for Taraji P. Henson. The former basketball star and the actress dated over a decade ago, and according to Lamar, he truly cared for her. He's talked about their previous relationship in his best-selling memoir Darkness To Light, but it seems he still has a few things to get off of his chest about his romance with the Oscar-nominated star.

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"I just wish I would have done things different," Lamar said on Uncensored. "She was a little older than me, but I learned a lot from her because that was the most significant relationship, as a grown-up, that I had with a black woman. I used to carry her picture on the road with me. Don't nobody know that except for dudes that played with me. She gave me inspiration, you know what I'm sayin'? A black woman working like that, that's just as good at her craft that [I am] in my craft."

Lamar admitted that Taraji may have been responsible for a few of his best plays on the road. "I remember we were on the road for our longest road trip and we were playing Cleveland. I went off they ass...but what I'm gettin' at. One of the inspirations, that's part of the inspiration was going back to see her, gettin' back to L.A., was one of the reasons why I kicked they ass that day," he said. "I remember how I was feeling during that game and after that game. Just...she inspired me."

The couple could have been long-lasting, had Lamar not cheated on Taraji with his future ex-wife. "Things ended with Taraji because me being an immature punk, I didn't know how to tell her that I was falling in love with another woman named Khloé Kardashian." Check out the Uncensored clip of Lamar once again sharing stories about his former flame.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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