Lamar Odom Returns to Los Angeles Lakers Court to Watch His Former Team Play Miami Heat

Athlete made his way into Staples Center to an excited crowd

There's one especially familiar face at the Los Angeles Lakers game tonight.

Former purple-and-gold forward Lamar Odom stepped back into Staples Center tonight to root on his old team and pal Kobe Bryant as they play the Miami Heat, in what is one of the Black Mamba's last games of his career. Odom, who was dressed casually in a gray hoodie and camouflage sweats, was a special guest on behalf of his longtime friend and former teammate.

"Kobe Bryant left two tickets for Lamar Odom to attend tonight's game vs the Miami Heat. Odom is expected to attend, according to sources," an ESPN reporter tweeted earlier tonight.

And standing at 6-foot-10-inches, it didn't take long for LO to be spotted by fans at the game:

Lamar has seemed in progressively good spirits lately.

Over the holiday weekend, Odom was spotted arriving at an Easter church service with Khloe Kardashian.

The 36-year-old athlete has never been photographed attending holiday church services with the family before, but Khloe and the rest of her famous family have been helping him on his road to recovery since he was hospitalized for an overdose in October.

In February, Lamar accompanied Khloe and her family to New York, during which they attended Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 fashion show, which marked Odom's first celebrity appearance since his health scare.

And while it was such a pleasure seeing him up and out then, there's something extra special about seeing Odom step foot back in Staples again.