Lamar Odom clashed with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban during halftime of his final game with the team, it was reported today.
Odom, who was placed on the team’s inactive list and can be traded after the postseason ends, reportedly got into a dispute with Cuban in between halves of the Mavericks’ 94-89 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPNDallas.com reported.
According to sources, Cuban confronted Odom, asking the reigning Sixth Man of the Year if he was “in or out.” Odom has averaged career lows in points (6.6), rebounds (4.2), assists (1.7), shooting percentage (35.2) and minutes (20.5) after being traded from the Lakers before the season started. Odom was send to the D-League last month.
After the altercation, Odom waited until the third quarter had already started to take his seat on the bench. A source told ESPNDallas.com that Odom even coming out for the second half came as a surprise.
Page Six reported today that in addition to the poor playing performance, Odom’s family drama and off-court antics led the team to part ways with with 32-year-old forward.
“They grew tired of his BS and kicked him to the curb,” an NBA source told Page Six. “[The team] didn’t need someone pouting like a little kid.”
Odom was faced with family drama after his father fell ill in February and was involved in a car accident in which is driver struck a motorcyclist which also resulted in the death of a 15-year-old.
Despite the reports of locker room and management discord, Odom and Cuban maintained that the parting was a mutual decision.
“We thought it was in the best interest of the Dallas Mavericks that we went our separate ways” said team owner Mark Cuban. Odom said in a statement it was a mutual decision: “The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed that it’s in the best interest of both parties for me to step away.”