Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesIn the days following Lamar Odom's sudden hospitalization, his closest friends and family have united in a public outpouring of love and support for the 35-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers player. Joining his cheering section is Gary Charles, Odom's former basketball coach and mentor. He has known Odom since he was just 15 years old.
In an exclusive interview with E! News, Charles begins by sharing a memory of his former player when he showed up late to a semifinal game. Charles refused to play Odom as a punishment and the team won the game anyway. Lamar remained silent about the incident and arrived an hour early the next day for the championship game; Odom ended up leading the team to victory and was named MVP.
"He looked at me without saying a word and smiled but I knew what he was thinking. 'I know coach, I know,' with his million dollar smile," Charles said.
Now, Charles is hoping one of his all-time favorite players will get a second chance at life.
"Lamar has a million dollar smile and would give you his shirt off his back. But, he never learned how to say the word 'no,'" Charles explained.
Like so many others close to Odom, Charles dreaded a day like Tuesday when Odom overdosed and went into a coma after a weekend binge on drugs, alcohol and herbal Viagra at a Nevada brothel. He is currently still unconscious and breathing on a ventilator.
"It's tough because this kid is like a son to me all of those years, and honestly, I've always been worried I would get a phone call like this," Charles told E!. "I can't say I'm surprised. I have worried about this day for as long as I've known him. Everyone close to him has worried, and we are all praying he makes it."
The ordeal is particularly painful for Charles, considering he witnessed Odom's talent and kindness early on in his life.
"I don't want to see anything bad happen to him. I think he has a lot to live for and a lot to give to society in a positive way," he told E!. "He is the nicest kid I ever had the pleasure of coaching. He is one of the nicest people you would ever want to be around. He is in the top five kids I've ever worked with. It's just a shame."
Charles noted that Odom's life has been littered with tragedy.
"He's always been in a tough situation with his dad, his mom dying, and his aunt and then his own child dying. There is so much—everything he has gone through—it is unbelievable," he said. "He is a good guy with a heart of gold and he loves his kids."
Charles doesn't think Lamar wants to die, but added that "he needs people around him that can help him make tough decisions and keep him on a positive path."
Khloe Kardashian was one of those people who helped keep the negative influences at bay.
"She helped get rid of those negative people around him. I always felt she would help keep one dollar in his pocket and two in the bank," he said. "He loved her and I think she loved him, too."
However, Charles can't pinpoint what lead Lamar to this downfall.
"I'm not sure what pushed him to this, but everyone goes through a weak moment. The people around you have to be strong enough to keep you from getting weak," he said. "Lamar always went with the flow whatever the flow was and he needed people around him to help him say no."
In July, Charles said Lamar contacted him asking for help getting his life back in motion both personally and professionally.
"He had regretted I hadn't been in his life," he said of the conversation. "I was crying and we were reminiscing. We talked for a half an hour."
"He told me he wanted me to help him. He wanted me back in his life. I told him I would be there for him and help him with whatever he needed," Charles said.
"He wanted one more shot in the league, while in the process of clearing his name, and hoping to mend our relationship, and maybe I could help keep him on the straight and narrow," Charles said. "His name and how people would remember him has always been important to him."
Charles noted the tangible measures he took to get Odom back on track went unfulfilled.
"He asked me to help him find a gym. I had an appointment for him to go work out at the gym at Bishop Gorman High School, the high school in Las Vegas. I had a guy who trains and works with kids all the time. He called me and told me Lamar never showed up," he said.
"I think he was down on the fact that he and Khloé weren't getting along. He felt he needed be in Vegas for a clean break and he had done boxing before to train," he said.
Despite the no-show, Charles said Odom found another trainer and was still working towards a comeback.
"He was getting in shape and working out. He was considering going back to school and finishing his degree and thinking of coaching. He was serious about it," he said. "He absolutely hadn't given up."
Neither has Charles or so many others who know him well.
"To know Lamar is to love Lamar," he said. "We are all rooting for him."