Lamar Odom Says He Had 12 Strokes, 6 Heart Attacks While in a Coma, ‘Can’t Remember’ Anything

Lamar Odom in a file photo (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)

Two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom, who was married to Khloe Kardashian for a time, said he suffered 12 strokes and six heart attacks when he was rendered comatose four years ago.

In October 2015, Odom was hospitalized after he was found unconscious in Nevada. He slipped into a coma after he overdosed on drugs inside a Las Vegas brothel.

Odom, 39, said that due to his memory, he “can’t remember [expletive],” according to The New York Daily News. He was referring to his short-term memory loss, adding that he often forgets where he places things.

“All my doctors that see me say I’m a walking miracle,” he was quoted by Fox News as saying in late April. “I had 12 strokes and six heart attacks when I was in a coma.”

In the interview, Odom said that doctors have recommended mental exercises to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, he said he has difficulties dribbling a basketball.

Khloe Kardashian Odom and Lamar Odom in a file photo. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

“From the stroke, some of my balance is not the same, my equilibrium is not the same, but I’m working on it to get it better,” Odom explained. “Handling the basketball came so naturally. When I see that going between my legs and going behind my back is a problem, I think that’s the coma and stroke and heart attack.”

Odom said he is among 132 players in the Big3 draft this week in Las Vegas, which includes former NBA players Greg Oden and Eddy Curry.

“All my doctors say I’m a walking miracle,” he told the Daily News. “They couldn’t really believe how I came back so fast. When I woke up I couldn’t walk or talk.”

In February, he played for a Filipino team but wasn’t impressed with his performance.

“I was a bum,” Odom said. “It was good just to go out there and compete, get my feet wet. But I was a bum.”

But he said that it is “just a blessing to be able to play” basketball.

“I think God made a deal with me. He said, ‘I’m going to give you life, but I’m going to take your basketball skills.’ But I don’t mind working to get it back. It’s going to be a tedious process, but it’ll come back,” he added.

He said his ex-wife was instrumental in helping him in his recovery, Fox reported. “It was big,” he said.

They ended up getting a divorce in 2016.

Memory Loss

According to the National Stroke Association, people can experience the loss of memory after a stroke.

It says:

- You may experience memory problems after a stroke. You might experience the following types of memory loss: -Verbal: memory of names, stories and information having to do with language -Visual: memory of shapes, faces, routes and things seen -Informational: memory of information and skills or trouble learning new things -Vascular dementia: A common post-stroke condition involving loss of thinking abilities.

- Symptoms of memory loss after a stroke may include: -Confusion or problems with short-term memory -Wandering or getting lost in familiar places -Difficulty following instructions -Trouble making monetary transactions