Ex-NBA 'Sixth Man Of The Year' Lamar Odom On Life Support In Las Vegas Hospital
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Former Laker standout Lamar Odom, who was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel, remained unconscious and on life support on Wednesday evening.
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He remained in critical condition late Wednesday.
Around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, paramedics were sent to Dennis Hof's Love Ranch, located in Crystal, Nevada, for report of an unresponsive man experiencing a medical emergency, according to the Nye County Sheriff's Department.
Authorities released the 9-1-1 call, in which the caller is heard describing Odom's condition: "He is breathing regularly. He keeps snoring a little bit, but he is breathing consistently. He's got a little bit of fluid coming from his nose and his mouth. It's got a red coloring to it."
Upon their arrival, authorities located and stabilized Odom before transporting him to Desert View Hospital.
"After being treated by the physicians, arrangements were made to transport him by Mercy Air helicopter," explained deputy Wehrly. "However, Mr. Odom was unable to be transported by air due to his stature. He was immediately transported by Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Ambulance to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, for further treatment."
TMZ reported that cocaine was found in Odom's system along with track marks on his arms. His heart is reportedly failing and there are serious problems with his kidneys and lungs.
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Odom was listed in critical condition and remained on life support in a coma. It was reported at 10:28 a.m. that an MRI revealed Odom suffered multiple strokes as a result of his medical emergency.
Shortly after, at 10:50 a.m., Rev. Jesse Jackson stated Lamar Odom was on life support but that his doctors think he's improving, describing: "We felt inspired by his presence. We just had prayer, and we know that we get knocked down sometimes. We get back up again."
His ex-wife, Khloe Kardashian, has flown to stay by his side at the hospital, according to reports. Their divorce was finalized in 2009, however, a judge has yet to sign off on it.
On Wednesday afternoon, investigators sought a warrant to obtain a blood sample to determine if Odom suffered a drug or alcohol overdose, according to Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly. Later in the evening, CBS2's Tom Wait confirmed that those investigators collected the blood sample, and that it was in a Las Vegas lab, pending results.
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Meanwhile, several NBA stars took to Twitter to express their support for Odom.
According to deputies, Richard Hunter, media director for the ranch, originally notified authorities of the incident.
Dennis Hof, owner of the Love Ranch, told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO 35-year-old Odom had been staying there since Saturday.
The former Lakers and Clippers star reportedly took eight to 10 pills of an herbal Viagra supplement while drinking.
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However, Hof stressed that no drugs were seen at the ranch.
"He was passed out," Hof said. "911 said to roll him over on his left side. Awful looking stuff came out of him and the paramedics got him out of there and got him to the hospital."
According to TMZ, Odom was partying for days after arriving in Nevada. He reportedly went to the ranch to escape and have a good time.
"The police looked through his things, and they didn't tell us they found anything," Hof stated. "The girls that were hanging out with him didn't see any use of any illegal drugs at all, and the fact that he was going to sleep every night tells me that he probably wasn't doing any drugs."
Odom was described as being "upbeat" until Sunday, when he received a call about how he had been portrayed on an episode of the Kardashians' reality show.
"He did get a phone call on Sunday that upset him a little bit," Hof said. "We don't know what that was about."
The investigation is ongoing.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
