Lamar Odom said to regain consciousness
The former basketball star reportedly spoke, but his condition remains guarded.
Lamar Odom, who has been fighting for his life in a Las Vegas hospital, regained consciousness Friday, but his condition remains guarded after he collapsed in a Nevada brothel following a weekend binge, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Odom, a former Laker and reality television star, was brought to the hospital after he collapsed Tuesday at the Love Ranch brothel about 80 miles outside Las Vegas. He has been fighting for his life after ingesting what officials said was a potent mix of cocaine, alcohol and an herbal sexual stimulant.
His estranged wife, Khloe Kardashian, has been by Odom’s bedside since he was hospitalized.
“Lamar is conscious and was able to say hi to Khloe but his condition remains guarded,” said a source who asked to be unnamed.
Alvina Alston, a spokeswoman for Odom’s aunt, JaNean Mercer, told the Los Angeles Times by phone that Odom on Friday was able to open his mouth and speak.
No other details were available. The improvement in Odom’s condition was first reported by the entertainment journalism outlets E! News and Entertainment Tonight.
Kardashian, who married Odom amid Hollywood glitz and glamour that was faithfully recorded on television, and his aunt separately called on Odom’s fans in the interlaced worlds of sports and entertainment to pray for his recovery.
With the hospital not saying how Odom was doing, reports have been rampant through the social media universe: Odom was on life support, he was intubated, he had dialysis. But none of those reports has been officially confirmed.
Still, all parties agreed that Odom had shown some signs of recovery, according to a variety of sources.
Kardashian, whose divorce from Odom is not final, has been making medical decisions about his treatment, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Times.
Brothel owner Dennis Hof was not at the ranch when Odom collapsed, but he told The Times that he had interviewed the manager and the two female employees who found the former basketball star.
Odom had been picked up at his home in a gated community late Saturday afternoon, Hof said, and arrived at Love Ranch at 5 or 6 p.m. He said it was Odom’s first visit to the brothel.
Odom initially planned to stay four or five days, he said, but wanted to know if Hof planned to drive down from northern Nevada. If so, Odom reportedly told the manager, he would stay longer.
Hof said Odom racked up a bill of about $75,000 by Tuesday morning. He also said Odom appeared to have been taking too much “herbal Viagra” during his stay.
“I was told he was not looking good” by one of the women who was with Odom, Hof said.
Witnesses who called 911 told dispatchers that Odom also had been using cocaine as early as Saturday, when he checked in. He also drank from a bottle of cognac.
Law enforcement officials have sent blood samples to be analyzed.
Odom began his NBA career in 1999 with the Los Angeles Clippers before going on to win the 2009 and 2010 NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Last year, he was waived by the New York Knicks as a free agent.
In 2009, Odom married Kardashian and became a regular on the family’s reality TV shows.
Meanwhile, Mercer, Odom’s aunt and godmother, also called for prayers. Mercer is the sister of Odom’s late mother and helped raise him.
In a statement emailed to reporters, Mercer said: “No words can express the overwhelming gratitude we feel for the outpouring of support from around the world.”