Lamar Odom was making steady improvement and “doing good” Saturday, days after he was rushed by ambulance to a Las Vegas hospital from a brothel, said a person close to the former Los Angeles Laker and Clipper who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Odom was texting and “speaking sentences” from his hospital bed, the person told the Los Angeles Times.

Former Clippers teammates Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul were among his visitors, the source said. All three arrived in Las Vegas late Wednesday night after the Clippers returned to L.A. from a trip to China, where they played two exhibition games.

Kobe Bryant and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak visited Odom in the hospital Tuesday night, according to sources with the Lakers who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. The Lakers were playing the Sacramento Kings in an exhibition game in Las Vegas.

A spokeswoman for Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday.

Odom regained consciousness Friday.

Advertisement

He was found unconscious Tuesday afternoon at the Love Ranch Vegas brothel in Crystal, Nev., about 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas. He had taken cocaine, alcohol and 10 doses of an herbal sexual-enhancement drug during a four-day stay at the brothel, authorities said.

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, Odom’s estranged wife, has been with him at the hospital. 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 earlier in the week.

Kardashian and her family members Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner have released statements saying they would not be posting to social media during Odom’s health crisis.

Alvina Alston, a spokeswoman for Odom’s aunt, JaNean Mercer, told the Times that Odom was able to open his mouth and speak on Friday.

Another source close to the situation told the Times on Friday, “Lamar is conscious and was able to say hi to Khloe, but his condition remains guarded.”

Officials have sent blood samples to be tested hoping to find out what drugs may have played a role in Odom’s condition.

Staff writers Amy Kaufman, Mike Bresnahan, Christine Mai-Duc and Javier Panzar contributed to this report.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.