Lamar Odom enjoyed a highly successful NBA career from 1999 to 2014, winning two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and earning multiple individual accolades along the way. Off the court, the retired basketball star became a father to three children — daughter Destiny and sons Lamar Jr. and Jayden — whom he shares with his former longtime partner Liza Morales, whom he dated prior to his marriage to Khloé Kardashian.
While Lamar has experienced many professional and personal highs, his life has also been marked by profound hardship. In 2006, his youngest son Jayden tragically passed away at just six months old, a devastating loss that deeply affected the family. Years later, Lamar’s widely publicized near-fatal overdose in 2015 became another turning point, straining his relationships — including those with Destiny and Lamar Jr. — as he worked toward recovery.
Find out more about Lamar’s three kids below.
Destiny Odom
Destiny Odom was born on August 6, 1998, and is Lamar Odom’s only daughter. At the time of her birth, Lamar was a freshman basketball player at the University of Rhode Island, just one year before he was drafted into the NBA by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Destiny was 11 years old when her father married Khloé Kardashian after only one month of dating — a moment she has spoken candidly about in past interviews. “Things changed when my dad married Khloé,” Destiny told People in 2017. “Things were a lot more public. When your dad’s an NBA player that’s already enough, but when he’s marrying a reality tv star, things are so public that you don’t have a private life anymore.”
Destiny’s relationship with her father became strained following Lamar’s near-fatal overdose in 2015, which left him hospitalized in a coma. However, the two later worked toward rebuilding their bond. In Lamar’s 2021 documentary, Lamar Odom Re/Born, Destiny shared that their relationship had significantly improved, explaining that she now turns to him for guidance. “I literally call him for advice for stuff now, because I feel like I can open up to him,” she said. “I can finally see what a real father is supposed to do.”
Lamar Odom Jr.
Lamar Odom Jr., born in 2002, is the second child of Lamar Odom and Liza Morales. He has largely kept a low public profile as he’s focused on school and young adulthood, while occasionally speaking candidly about his evolving relationship with his father.
Lamar Jr. appeared alongside his dad in the 2021 documentary, where he reflected on watching Lamar grow in the years following his near-fatal overdose. In the film, he said he could see his father “progressing as a person, as a man, as a father,” adding that he noticed Lamar “kind of taking that leap” toward accountability and healing.
However, their relationship has not been without setbacks. In November 2019, Lamar Jr. publicly expressed disappointment after learning via social media that his father had gotten engaged to Sabrina Parr. “Not a txt or phone call to see how people who’ve known this dude his whole life to see how we would feel or react,” he wrote on Instagram at the time, according to E! News. He later deleted the post and clarified his feelings, sharing a more measured message of support. “At the end of the day, I am a teenager that is becoming a young man,” he wrote. “I have nothing but love for my dad and want what’s best for him.”
Following the brief public tension, a source told HollywoodLife that Lamar and his son spoke directly and had a heartfelt conversation, signaling another step forward in their ongoing effort to rebuild trust. Lamar’s engagement to Parr was later called off, and Lamar Jr. has since remained largely private about his relationship with his father.
Jayden Odom
Jayden, Lamar and Liza’s youngest child, arrived on December 15, 2005. Just six months later, on June 29, 2006, Jayden tragically died from sudden infant death syndrome while asleep in his crib. Liza was home when Jayden passed, while Lamar was on the road for basketball. Jayden’s death resulted in the couple splitting up, as well as Lamar sadly turning to drugs to cope.
All these years later, the tragic death of Jayden has stuck with Lamar. The athlete spoke about his late son in his documentary, saying, “He was extra energetic. Whenever I’d walk into the room, he’d just stare at me. He was beautiful. He was like the combination of his sister and his brother. I just wish I would have had him in my life a little longer.”
