Life Insurance Helped Keep Lamar on the Path to Success
He may be living under a high intensity celebrity spotlight as a Los Angeles Lakers forward and star of the hit reality TV show Khloé & Lamar, but Lamar Odom had much simpler beginnings. His journey began in a single-parent household in Queens, N.Y. Even though his mother, Cathy, earned a modest income working as a corrections officer, she sent him to Catholic school because of concerns about the public schools in their rough-and-tumble neighborhood. Sadly, she didn’t live to see Lamar’s success. She died of colon cancer when he was just 12.

A Solid Foundation
Lamar’s mother didn’t expect to die at such a young age, but she wasn’t about to leave her son’s future to chance. Because she had life insurance, Lamar was able to continue his private school education. He was also fortunate that his grandmother was able to pick up where his mother left off, providing a nurturing environment where his talents could flourish. When he graduated high school at 18, life insurance again made a difference. He was considered one of the best young basketball players in the country, but knew it would be best if he didn’t pursue a professional career right away. Because Lamar was financially stable, he had the chance to attend college for several years.

Lessons Learned
Lamar’s story underlines the importance of addressing the “what ifs” in life. “Too many Americans haven’t done the kind of planning that my mom did,” says Lamar. “They don’t have life insurance because they don’t think they’ll ever need it. I’m sure my mom didn’t think that she’d die at 35, but that didn’t stop her from doing the responsible thing.” Lamar had no way of knowing at age 12 how important his mother’s planning was, but it’s a lesson that has stayed with him. “Purchasing life insurance was one of the first things I did when I entered the NBA,” he says. “As a husband and father of two beautiful children, I want to make sure the people I love will always be provided for.”

10 Questions for Lamar Odom
We recently sat down with Lamar to talk to him about his story and his personal decision to purchase life insurance. You can read the entire interview here.

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