I really feel bad that Lamar Odom has to battle his drug addiction in front of the world to see, but I suppose that’s what comes with being an athlete.
Fans at first found it hard to believe that Lamar was addicted to drugs (there are conflicting reports on which drug it is), but it has been confirmed.
He’s been dealing with this issue for years, so the question is — how did his drug tests with the NBA not come up positive?! Well reporters have been digging to answer that question. Details after the jump…
Via RadarOnline:
Drug testers for the NBA took at least six samples from Lamar Odom over the last season — many of which showed the 33-year-old had been using the powerful painkiller OxyContin – but he wasn’t tossed out of the league because he had a valid prescription.
The husband of reality star Khloe Kardashianallegedly has become addicted to the synthetic form of morphine — a drug that is considered twice as strong as the narcotic.
His preferred use of the drug, also known as hillbilly heroin, is to smoke it, according to one source.
“Lamar never registered a dirty test over the last two years,” a source close to the NBA told Radar.
The insider added, “Lamar was able to smoke OxyContin and it was detected during several drug tests. But because he had a valid prescription, it wasn’t a violation. It allowed him to skate through the system. He knew he could smoke it and get away with it.”
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Some reports have suggested that Odom was using crack cocaine.
However, the high-level NBA source who spoke to RadarOnline.com stated doubted the veracity of those suggestions, scoffing: “If Lamar had been using crack cocaine, or any other illegal drug, it would have been detected during the league’s drug testing routine.”
The NBA subjects all players to four random tests each season (from October 1 to June 30) and two random tests each off-season (from July 1 to September 30). All such tests without prior notice to the player.
And any failed test for what the league considers “drugs of abuse” — cocaine, speed, heroin, LSD and the like — results in instant disqualification from the league.
“If Lamar tested positive for a drug of abuse, he would have immediately been sanctioned and suspended,” the source said.
