Lamar Odom brings more than just an ability to play five positions into his rookie NBA season. He carries the baggage of being known as flaky, erratic and indecisive. Hardly criminal behavior, but Odom's struggle to make up his mind with the world watching earned him a reputation as a problem child.
Perception is everything in America.
If you're looked down upon, it hurts. Odom's choices, made on instincts that haven't always served him well, included bouncing around three high schools during his senior year and two colleges before playing only one season at Rhode Island. He changed his mind twice about entering the NBA draft before deciding he would leave college. He skipped pre-draft workouts with several teams and didn't show up for a scouting combine, which fueled the rumor mill and scared off teams in the June draft. That's the biggest misconception.