Lamar Odom praises late teammate Kobe Bryant for helping him through his ‘darkest moments’

Lamar Odom praised his former Lakes teammate Kobe Bryant for helping him through his ‘darkest moments’ as he discussed his tragic death on Tuesday’s Good Morning Britain.

Joining his fiancée Sabrina Parr, 32, via a live link from Atlanta, the ex-sportsman, 40, compared the ‘shock’ from Kobe’s helicopter crash to the passing of his six-month-old son Jayden in 2006 from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The former KUWTK star admitted he’ll ‘miss him dearly’ and hopes to continue the icon’s legacy after he was killed in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others on Sunday.

Lamar – who played with Kobe together for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2004 until 2011 – started the interview by confessing the sports legend’s death ‘feels like a long-lasting nightmare’, before sending his condolences to his surviving wife Vanessa.

The media personality told Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid: ‘Yeah… it seems rather surreal. It feels like a long-lasting nightmare. I’m gonna miss him dearly. 

The reality star – who shares Destiny, 21, and  Lamar Jr., 17, with ex Liza Morales – added: ‘I haven’t really felt a pain or shock like this since my son passed away in 2006.

‘I’m feeling really bad and his fans are, I can just imagine how his children and wife and his mother and father feel right now.’

Insisting their friendship has had an impact on his life, he added: ‘I’m just blessed I was able to rub shoulders with that man, and have a little bit of that magical dust sprinkled on me.’

 In October 2015, Lamar had a near-death experience after he was hospitalized after being discovered unconscious at the Love Ranch brothel in Nevada.

Amid his addiction to cocaine, he suffered from kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes, and eventually became comatose and was placed on life support.  

Revealing Kobe visited him during his ‘darkest moments’, the New Yorker shared words of encouragement in a bid to continue his legacy.

Lamar – who was married to Khloe Kardashian from 2009 until 2016 – shared: ‘I think for everyone to put their best foot forward. Don’t ever stop and go after your dreams because if we combine the two, he’s a prime example anything can happen…

‘Because he combined the two, hopefully they will change the logo of the NBA to his silhouette.’

Sabrina went on to reveal she reached out to the supportive father-of-four to help Lamar with his Dancing With The Stars stint last year, where he was the second contestant to become eliminated.

The personal trainer recalled: ‘He didn’t really say much different [to me] as far as pushing him, but one thing he did say was, they were Face-Timing and I was just happy he took the time out to want to get involved and support Lamar.

‘The moment he found out he text him and said “go out there and kill it, practice until your legs hurt and then practice some more”.’

Following news of the former basketball player’s passing, Lamar posted a sentimental tribute onto Instagram.

Alongside a series of throwback snaps, he said: ‘These picture are just the tip of the iceberg of our relationship. He taught me so many things in life that were necessary on and off the court.

‘On the court he taught me how to carve out defenses and how to take my time. How to make winning my ultimate goal. Off the court he taught me to sign my own checks lol. Of course anyone who knows my story knows I’ve suffered a lot of loss but the only loss I can compare this to is when I lost my son. 

‘Even though our relationship wasn’t father/son, it was more like him being a teacher and me being his brother. I’m glad I got to be the ying to your yang as far as the locker room was concerned. It was my pleasure. I couldn’t even catch my breath today when I heard this news. 

‘I just knew if he was in a helicopter crash he would have been the one to survive. Somehow he would have jumped out and landed on his feet. I’m sitting here thinking about when we would be in practice scrimmaging and you would start the jump ball off with elbowing Sasha in the chest. 

‘Like dude it’s 10:30 in the morning lol. You think watching him play was crazy, you gotta think in practice if you scored like 8-9 buckets throughout the practice you had a great practice. I’ve seen him knock off 13-14 in a row in practice!!!!

‘I’m still waiting for the media to come out and say wrong report. No way God took my brother this early. I know I been through my own stuff in life with using drugs and not being good to myself.

‘When I went through that Coma situation if God would have came to me and said we would take me and spare Kobe I would have rather that happened. In honor of my brother I’m up at 4am tomorrow to get to the gym! Gigi gone give you buckets!!!! I love you brother.’ [sic]

News of Kobe’s death in a helicopter crash in California, which also claimed the NBA star’s daughter Gianna and seven others over the weekend, sent shock waves throughout the sports world and beyond.

Condolences began pouring in after Bryant’s Sikorsky S-76 crashed in Calabasas about 10am. 

The helicopter struck a hillside amid heavy fog and immediately caught fire, killing all those on board.