Odom: I want out of L.A

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Odom- Bashes Clippers

Forward expects to be with Heat
BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ
igutierrez@herald.com

COMING TO MIAMI? Los Angeles Clippers restricted free agent forward Lamar Odom says he wants out of L.A. and doesn't want to play for any other coach than Pat Riley next season.


His free agent status might be restricted, but it doesn't mean Lamar Odom has to restrict his emotions.

The 6-10 forward, who played his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, has been negotiating a contract offer from the Heat that is believed to be worth between $65 million and $70 million over six years.

Odom's concern, though, is the Clippers will match the offer sheet, and he wants to make it clear he wants out of Los Angeles and would be disappointed if the Clippers brought him back.

''I feel like my relationship with the Clippers is over,'' Odom said by telephone Wednesday. ``I don't really feel like they committed to me. If they were, this wouldn't be going on like this. I just feel like this is my time and my place and my chance to get out of there.''

The Clippers reportedly have offered Odom a three-year, $24 million contract, but Odom's dissatisfaction runs much deeper than any dollar figures.

Since he was drafted fourth overall in 1999, the Clippers have been through four coaches and just hired their fifth, Mike Dunleavy.

And even the smaller details, like the Clippers are without their own practice facility, have gotten to Odom.

''At the end of this year, I pretty much wanted out,'' Odom said. ``I'm tired of not having a place to practice, a place to get better. I think it's just my time to get out of there. . . . I've been trying to express myself as humble as possible, but I just want to get . . . out of there.''

The Clippers have shown signs of turning around what often is referred to as the worst franchise in professional sports. They matched the Heat's six-year, $82 million offer to Elton Brand and Utah's six-year, $42 million offer to Corey Maggette, plus hired the respected Dunleavy.

''I know they did the thing with Elton Brand, but that was the obvious. They had to do that, . . .'' Odom said. ``I don't want to go through this again with the perception of Lamar Odom and having to win [Dunleavy] over and try to show him that I'm a good dude.

``I don't see how far we could go. From my understanding, no one wants to hire a disgruntled employee or bring a disgruntled employee back. I would not be happy coming back. I think my career is going to take off with the Heat. I'm running in muddy waters with the Clippers.''

Odom said he would be happier playing for the Heat and coach Pat Riley.

''This is about me coming to play for a coach that I should have been playing with a long time ago, since my rookie season,'' Odom said. ``He tried to make the moves to come get me then [in a trade], and now it's time for him to come get me out of the basketball hell.

``I don't see myself playing for any other coach than Riley next year.''

Odom's options also include signing a one-year tender offer with the Clippers that would make him an unrestricted free agent next season.

A Clippers spokeswoman said the team had no comment about Odom's remarks.

Instead, Odom would prefer to sign a deal with the Heat, which is likely to occur sometime in the next two days. Riley is in Los Angeles, as is Odom's agent, Jeff Schwartz.

Asked if he was worried the Clippers would match the Heat's offer simply out of spite, Odom said, ``To sign somebody back out of spite is gutless and is sorry. I just want to get as far away from the Clippers as possible.''