Gossip of the Week: Lamar Odom’s ‘New Beginning’

You might say he’s on the rebound.

Following months of speculation, Lamar Odom formally announced at a press conference on Friday that he is relocating to Spain for two months to play basketball with Baskonia (aka Laboral Kutxa), a Spanish franchise.

“Some may have thought I’ve lost focus in my life,” Lamar told journalists, according to the team’s official Twitter account. “Coming to Vitoria is a new beginning for me.”

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The disclosure was unexpected because in December, the reality star’s wife, Khloe Kardashian, filed for divorce from him after reports claimed he was cheating and using drugs behind her back. He denied having a drug problem in late 2013, in an interview with TMZ.

Another bombshell from Friday’s media gathering — Lamar said he’s not giving up on his marriage… just yet.

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The 34 year-old candidly revealed to Us Weekly, “We don’t know exactly if [the divorce is going through]. Only time will tell. I hope not.”

And Lamar has been opening up all week. On Tuesday, the former Laker and Clipper said in an interview obtained exclusively by Access Hollywood that he is still close with the Kardashian clan, particularly his stepfather-in-law, Bruce Jenner.

“Bruce is… he means a lot to me,” Lamar explained, while wearing his wedding ring. “Bruce is one of the reasons why I’m going to do this.”

The two-time NBA champ went on to say that he and Bruce text back and forth frequently and that he occasionally communicates with Khloe’s mom, Kris Jenner, too.

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“Hopefully they’ll be able to come see me soon,” he added.

As for where Khloe stands on Lamar, actions may speak louder than words. On Thursday, Khloe was pictured giving the middle finger to paparazzi when she was asked if she will visit him, per E! News.

Furthermore, Khloe has not been photographed wearing her rock from Lamar in over two months. Several gossip outlets claim she is dating rapper The Game, whom she was spotted twerking with at a Hollywood nightclub recently. He previously denied any romance between the two, telling Us Weekly in late 2013, “Khloe is my friend. She is like a sister. We have never [slept together] and will never be sleeping together.”

Then there’s Khloe’s Instagram post from three days ago, that further suggests that Khloe is ready to move on — without Lamar. “Don’t forget that you’re human. It’s okay to have a melt down. Just don’t unpack and live there. Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed,” the message read.

Although it doesn’t appear that Khloe and Lamar’s divorce is finalizing anytime soon, it does seem like Lamar is decisively shifting gears and making a concerted effort to clean up his life. A free agent since the end of 2013, this new gig of Lamar’s seems to be a good opportunity for him, even if it is temporary, and a demotion from his splashy NBA days.

This willingness to start over is perhaps the best indication that both Khloe and Lamar are finally on the same page… well, sort of.

Genevieve Wong

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