Amid the attention and fame that went along with his life in the Kardashian clan, it's easy to overlook what was once an immensely successful (and lucrative) basketball career for Lamar Odom.

The game was a natural escape for the Queens, New York native, who's mother died of cancer when he was 12. His father, Joe Odom, was a disabled veteran and a heroin addict, leaving Odom to be raised by his grandmother, Mildred Mercer.

At 6 feet 10 inches tall and with the ball handling skills of a point guard, Odom's talents made him famous at a young age in his home town and beyond.