But years after he left the league and stepped out of the spotlight, those closest to him are tight-lipped as he fights for his life at a Nevada hospital.
Little is known about what made him unconscious at a brothel in Crystal, Nevada, where he was found Tuesday, three days after he checked in.
Officials have said little about how he ended up there — and what his condition is.
As a transfixed nation watches his private struggle turn into a public spectacle, a few details have emerged about his time at the brothel.
Most of the information is coming from Dennis Hof, the owner of the Love Ranch, where the retired basketball player was found.
Odom spent tens of thousands at brothel
In three days, Odom spent $75,000 there, which guaranteed two women would “take care of any of his needs,” Hof told CNN’s sister network HLN.
He used cocaine on his first day at the brothel Saturday, employees told 911 dispatchers. On a 911 call played at a news conference, a woman said she also saw him take 10 herbal supplement tablets over three days.
The brothel’s employees also told 911 operators that when they found him Tuesday, Odom was lying in bed on his side with a pinkish fluid coming from his mouth and nose.
Odom’s children speak out
His father and two children have joined Kardashian family members at the hospital, but have revealed few specifics on his condition.
In a statement Thursday, his children Destiny Odom, Lamar Odom Jr. and their family asked for prayers.
“Thanks for your outpouring of prayers and support for our dad. We are here with our family and friends,” the statement said. “We appreciate everyone respecting our privacy at this time. We ask for your continued prayers.”
Khloe Kardashian making medical decisions
In addition to appearing on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” Odom and Khloe Kardashian had their own reality show, “Khloe & Lamar.” It lasted for two seasons and 20 episodes.
The two signed divorce papers this year, but the divorce has not been finalized, a source told CNN.
As a result, the source said, Kardashian will make medical decisions for the former NBA star.
Grandmother: ‘Spotlight could have gotten to him’
His grandmother, Florence Odom, said she was devastated she could not be at his bedside because of her disabilities.
“I know Lamar didn’t do the things they are saying he did. … He’s beautiful,” she said. ” If you ever were to meet him you would say the same. I don’t listen to gossip.”
The pressures of celebrity could have taken their toll on him, the 89-year-old said.
“Lamar being on the show with the spotlight could have gotten to him,” she said.
Four teams, 14 seasons
Odom, 35, won two NBA championships as a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers.
He played for four teams during his 14 seasons in the NBA and won the Sixth Man of the Year Award during the 2010-11 season.
The Los Angeles Clippers drafted him in 1999, and he played for the team for four seasons before signing with the Miami Heat.
After one season in Miami, he was traded to the Lakers, and became a key part of their championship teams in 2009 and 2010.
A year later, he played briefly for the Dallas Mavericks before returning to the Clippers for one season. He has not played in the NBA since then, though the New York Knicks signed him during the off-season last year, only to cut him three months later.
Outside basketball, Odom has continued making headlines, including for a drunken driving charge two years ago. He pleaded no contest and received three years’ probation.
CNN’s Steve Almasy, Lorenza Brascia, David Burgess, Cheri Robertson Mossburg, Christine Sever and Carma Hassan contributed to this report.
