Kobe Bryant’s Former Teammate Wants to Bring Out Inner Deion Sanders: “I’m Going to Live in the Gym..”

Lamar Odom is shooting his shot for Primetime glory. He’s feeling inspired by Deion Sanders to switch gears into a similar second act. The confidence to be the Coach Prime of college basketball comes from ending his career on a high alongside Kobe Bryant. Working alongside a taskmaster like the Black Mamba prepares you for a lot in life, according to his former teammate. And he’s hoping to channel the Mamba Mentality into college basketball.

Odom’s prime was playing alongside Bryant. He boasts about learning so much from him that could translate into a winning basketball coach.

Lamar Odom wants to bring the Mamba Mentality to the NCAA

Like Deion Sanders is doing magnificent things with the Colorado Buffaloes football team, Lamar Odom wants to be the Coach Prime of basketball. The 2x NBA champion is seeking to be put in charge of a college basketball program, hoping to take them to a championship.

“If you give me a program, I promise you I’m going to live in the gym and turn that team around,” Odom told The Messenger. He sounds like one of those NBA pros who has witnessed Kobe Bryant working out in the gym at vampire hours.

Bryant was known to wake his trainer up before dawn and put six hours into workouts. His once opponent, Gilbert Arenas, was floored watching him in the gym at 3 am on a game day as if it was the NBA Finals. Odom has repeated several times he learned that same intensity and leadership during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won the 2009 and 2010 championships with them and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 as a Laker.

“I came in as a young superstar on a young team and ended my career as one of the best players coming off the bench and the Sixth Man of the Year on a veteran team. I know about sacrifice and what it takes to win. I’ve won multiple championships with the best player of my generation in Kobe Bryant,” Odom said.

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No word on whether he’s entertaining coaching offers yet. The consensus, though, is that he’s a great fit to bring both the Mamba Mentality and the Coach Prime energy to college basketball.

Kobe Bryant shows up in Lamar Odom’s dreams

Odom’s short-lived marriage with Khloe Kardashian and the reality TV fame boosted his post-NBA career. But it was Kobe Bryant who helped him overcome his off-the-court struggles.

Since losing his friend, Odom claims that Kobe has come to him in his dreams and made him turn his life around. Sounds outlandish, but Odom has been a big follower of Bryant’s persona. “Like, if you ain’t learned from him, then you was stupid.” And Odom did pick up the best lessons from the Lakers great.

Those firsthand lessons would be very handy to any college basketball team from a Lakers star himself. What do you think about the prospects of Coach Odom?

READ MORE: Does Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Partnership Go Beyond The Realms Of Basketball?