A familiar name from the Purple & Gold glory days may soon be back on the sidelines of basketball, just not in the way fans remember. Two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom, one of the most versatile forwards of his era and a key piece of the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship runs, is exploring a return to the game that defined his career. This time, however, his mission isn’t to fill the stat sheet – it’s to pass on the wisdom that helped him win titles under legendary coach Phil Jackson.

After years away from basketball, Odom is now looking to reconnect with the sport by mentoring the next generation. According to a TMZ report, the former lottery pick has been traveling across the United States, meeting with several college basketball programs to discuss potential coaching opportunities.

“Sources told TMZ … Lamar is pitching schools on bringing back elements of the legendary Triangle Offense, the system he mastered while playing for then-Lakers head coach Phil Jackson,” the outlet further reported. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise, given that Odom was considered the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of this system that relied on spacing and team effort.

Under Jackson’s legendary system, which featured three-player triangles on one side of the court, creating a high percentage of shots, layups, and driving lanes, the former Los Angeles forward won back-to-back championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

His ability to handle the ball like a guard while standing at 6-foot-10 helped him initiate plays from almost anywhere on the floor.

Now, he wants to pass this philosophy to the next generation of superstars. Although TMZ didn’t get into the details of which schools Lamar Odom has had a conversation with, it shouldn’t be long before he finds a suitable role.

Doing so, he’ll join a long list of former players who have transitioned into coaching. But before he does that, he’s made a strong admission regarding Stephen Curry’s legacy.

Lamar Odom explains how Stephen Curry’s greatness has hurt the game

There’s no debate that Stephen Curry is one of the greatest players in today’s basketball. However, while his greatness cannot be denied, his impact on the game has divided fans and analysts alike.

The three-point was more of an afterthought than the main focus of an offense before Curry’s arrival. But ever since the Dubs became successful, it has become one of the most important aspects of the game.

For the NBA, it’s gotten to a point where every team is trying to shoot from beyond the arc, limiting the differentiating factors between them, something former NBA star Lamar Odom believes is both a blessing and a curse.

“The Steph Curry curse. His greatness hurt the game, but it’s not his fault,” said Odom. “I know if I get a kid right now, 10 years old, 8 years old, 9 years old, from wherever, and I give him a basketball when we go to the park, he’s probably going to shoot the ball from the furthest part of the court.

“And that’s due to Steph Curry’s greatness,” he further said. “He was amazing, he is amazing still. I hope kids are just not learning from him how to shoot. I hope they watch how he moves without the basketball. I hope they learn that part of the game.”

What the two-time champion is trying to convey through his statement is that people see Stephen Curry and think that shooting the ball is the best way to move forward. However, while that might be true, it depends on the skill set and movement.

That’s something which many people, as well as teams, ignore. So, rather than playing on their strengths, they try to emulate Curry’s playstyle, which, of course, isn’t for everyone.