Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom has some advice for Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce about his relationship with Taylor Swift.
Odom knows quite a bit about the life and challenges of being a professional athlete with an A-list celebrity partner. The two-time NBA champion married Khloe Kardashian in 2009 and spent several tumultuous years married to the reality TV star. During that time, he struggled with cocaine addiction (which he later said contributed to his early exit from professional basketball), and he had "multiple" affairs with different women.
Odom and Kardashian officially split in 2016.
So what would Odom say to another athlete whose significant other is more famous than him? Odom, who later said he regretted his infidelities, said Kelce should just make sure to be vigilant about sticking with Swift.
"My advice would be to be strong and stay by her and be as close to her as possible," Odom told The Messenger in an interview published on Friday. "There are going to be millions of women that want to taste what Taylor Swift is tasting and it can be overwhelming because we're men. He just has to be strong and stick by his girl and he'll be all right."
Kelce certainly seems to be close with Swift early in their relationship. The tight end made his way down to Argentina during the Chiefs' bye week last month to attend one of her concerts, and he was spotted singing along and enjoying himself as Swift changed the lyrics to one of her songs in a nod to him. Since Swift finished the South American leg of her Eras Tour, she has been spending time with Kelce again: The duo were spotted at a holiday party this weekend, and apparently, the two plan to spend the holidays together.
As for Odom, he hopes to get back into basketball on the coaching side, and he believes he could emulate what Colorado coach Deion Sanders has done.
"You give me a program and I'll recruit and I'll take them to the Elite Eight and the Final Four," Odom told The Messenger. "We'll definitely be able to sell tickets for the first couple of seasons. That's for damn sure. I just want to coach. I love to see young men grow and get better. I want us to play the game the right way. I want these young men to represent their school the right way. If you give me a program, I promise you I'm going to live in the gym and turn that team around."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Tom Westerholm is a Sports & Culture Reporter for Newsweek. Prior to joining Newsweek, he was the Boston Celtics beat ... Read more
