Lamar Odom’s attorney has issued a not guilty plea on behalf of his millionaire ex-NBA star client in the DUI case against him in Las Vegas.
Kevin Coburn delivered the plea in a Las Vegas courtroom on Tuesday with his client, the two-time NBA champion, nowhere to be seen.
During the proceedings, Coburn also asked for a bench trial for Odom – which was set for July 7.
Odom has denied being under the influence of either drugs or alcohol when he was arrested in Vegas on January 17 – despite police claiming he admitted to smoking marijuana earlier that day.
The former Los Angeles Lakers player, who was previously married to Khloe Kardashian, was detained by police on suspicion of DUI and driving more than 100mph.
On January 20, Odom spoke out about his arrest, insisting he had not drunk or taken narcotics when he was arrested. In an interview with TMZ, he did not specify what was in his system.
Judge Bruce Nelson listens as Lamar Odom’s attorney issues a not guilty plea in Las Vegas
Odom’s attorney Kevin Coburn also asked for a bench trial for Odom – which was set for July 7
Odom is facing three misdemeanors in the case after being pulled over by police in January
But later that day, it was reported that cops found the 46-year-old with bloodshot eyes, while his car had an ‘overwhelming odor of marijuana.’
According to TMZ, the ex-NBA star confessed to smoking marijuana just hours before police caught him speeding at 106mph.
It’s said the authorities were patrolling the streets around 2am on Saturday when a black SUV sped past them and then changed lanes without signaling.
Police reportedly questioned Odom at the scene, with the ex-NBA star claiming his passenger had been smoking. But he reportedly admitted he had smoked marijuana around 4pm that day and admitted to ‘driving like he was in “Back To The Future”.’
According to TMZ, Odom struggled during several sobriety tests, including failing to touch the tip of his nose in six attempts.
Police also asked whether he had suffered a traumatic brain injury, to which Odom reportedly laughed before claiming to have suffered ’12 strokes and six heart attacks and that he was poisoned at a brothel in Pahrump.’
The two-time NBA champion was hit with three charges: driving under the influence, driving more than 41mph over the limit and improper lane change/failure to maintain lane.
In a statement, Odom later insisted he is ‘learning from this experience.’
He said: ‘[I] remain committed to my continued growth. I’ve worked hard to rebuild my life, and taking responsibility is an essential part of that process. I am cooperating fully, staying honest, and focused on moving forward with integrity. Thank you to those who continue to support me.’
The former husband of Khloe Kardashian recently checked out of rehab in Los Angeles
The New York native, who was the 2010-11 Sixth Man of the Year, made $114million over his 14-year career in the NBA.
Odom claimed this week that the late Kobe Bryant had visited him in a dream and revealed a chilling warning to him about the afterlife.
Odom, who shared a locker room with Bryant during their time at the LA Lakers, revealed the encounter while on the Double Coverage podcast. He shared that the ‘Mamba’ continues to appear in his dreams years after his passing.
According to the retired forward, the dream involved the two former teammates playing basketball together, before Bryant issued a cryptic message.
‘He said something to me [that] I’ll never forget: ‘The afterlife ain’t what people make it up to be.”
Last month, meanwhile, the Daily Mail confirmed that Odom had checked out of rehab in Los Angeles after completing a 30-day treatment program at iRely Recovery following his DUI arrest.
