MANILA, Philippines -- Against all odds, Lamar Odom is making his return to the hardcourt.
After five years of inactivity, the former Laker superstar is set to play once again -- this time with Mighty Sports to represent the Philippines in the Dubai International Basketball Tournament this February.
Odom revealed that he wasn't expecting the offer at first but was nevertheless grateful.
"I think it was a little overwhelming that my talent is still wanted out there," he said.
"I've been through so much but basketball has always been a place of refuge for me. So I'm just excited about the oppotunity in general." he added.
The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year was derailed from his career in 2015 when he encountered numerous health problems like strokes and heart attacks.
Now at 39 years old, Odom will be back in action with much younger ballers like UP's Juan Gomez de Liano and DLSU's Santi Santillan. The veteran appreciates youth in the lineup.
"It's reviving. Anytime you surround yourself around youth, it helps you feel young. So I'm glad that we got a couple of younger players on the team," he said.
Odom doesn't want to make any promises about Mighty Sports come the tournament, but if there's one thing fans can expect, it's effort.
"They can expect all our effort... Just our whole out effort to make the Filipino people proud," he said.
The Dubai International Basketball Tournment begins this February 1.