Life Insurance Awareness Month – with an Assist from Lamar Odom

As a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers (sorry Celtics fans), I have seen some great players over the years – Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic and Kareem, Shaq and Kobe, to name-drop a few.  When he plays his heart out, I can utter the name Lamar Odom in the same breath with the others.  Up until recently, I considered Lamar to be one of the greatest underachievers in the history of the game.  He elevated his game this past year and won the prestigious Sixth Man Award, one he richly deserved.
However, in September of this year, Lamar Odom will be making an assist that will elevate him to an even higher level for me.  He will be the spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month, sponsored by the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE).   I believe by putting his celebrity to better use than in the TV reality show Kloe & Lamar, Mr. Odom will be promoting the concept of protecting your family with life insurance to a huge sports-watching public.

Lamar has a great story about the value of life insurance to tell – his mother passed away from colon cancer when he was twelve years old.  Because she had life insurance, he was able to continue attending his private Catholic high school, where his mother had enrolled him so he didn’t have to go to the public school in his rough neighborhood.  As a single parent, she knew the value of a good education and, in spite of her modest income, she purchased a life insurance policy to ensure that Lamar would be able to continue his education in the event of her death – which, unfortunately happened much too soon.
When Lamar graduated high school as one of the best basketball players in the country, he probably could have immediately entered the NBA, but to honor his mother (and because he valued his education), he enrolled in college.  Had his mother not purchased her life insurance policy, Lamar might not have been able to attend college.

The Greatest Assist in his Life

Lamar has had some great assists on-court throughout his career from players like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher, but the greatest assist he has ever received was the one his mother gave him when she purchased her life insurance policy.   That’s why Lamar has agreed to be the spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month.  ”Too many Americans haven’t done the kind of planning that my mom did,” says Lamar.  ”They don’t have life insurance because they don’t think they’ll  ever need it.  I’m sure my mom didn’t think that she’d die at age 35, but that didn’t stop her from doing the responsible thing.”
When Lamar’s mother died, he had no idea how important his mother’s unselfish act was, but he fully realizes it today.  ”Purchasing life insurance was one of the first things I did when I entered the NBA,” he says.  ”As a husband and father of two beautiful children, I want to make sure the people I love will be provided for.”
If you don’t have life insurance, take an assist from Lamar Odom and score – protect your family’s future with a life insurance policy.  To get a free life insurance quote, click the Start Your Instant Quote button now.

Posted in: Life insurance