While Lamar Odom was having successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder Tuesday, Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw was in Indianapolis interviewing for the vacant coaching position with the Indiana Pacers.

Lakers assistant coaches Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons also are candidates for head coaching openings in the NBA.

Rambis is supposed to interview with the Kings for the opening and with the Seattle SuperSonics. Both teams were given permission by the Lakers to talk to Rambis, who was the interim head coach of the Lakers during the shortened, locked-out 1998-99 season. Rambis posted a 24-13 record.

Cleamons also has been contacted by the SuperSonics about the opening that came about after Bob Hill was let go. Cleamons said he was told that he wouldn’t be interviewed for the job until after Seattle hires a general manager, and that that probably wouldn’t happen until sometime in June. Cleamons has been a head coach before with the Dallas Mavericks for 1 ½ years and had a 28-72 record.

Odom had a 40-minute procedure performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum at the Kerlan Jobe Surgery Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.

Odom will wear a sling for 10 days and then start his rehabilitation. Odom will do therapy for four months, which takes him to about mid-September before he can get on the court and play basketball. That’ll be just about two weeks before the Lakers opening training camp in Hawaii.

“They went in there and fixed me up,” Odom said in a phone interview. “The shoulder was beat up pretty bad. Everything went fine, and I should be OK.”

Odom, who missed just five games after he injured his shoulder March 2 against Sacramento, said he still is considering having surgery on his right knee.

“Hopefully, I won’t have to have to have it scoped,” Odom said. “But we’ll just have to see after I get another MRI on the knee.”

+ Broderick Turner at bturner@PE.com

• My Thoughts: Nothing much I can say on the matter. Except for the fact I am glad Lamar had a successful surgery. If he is not traded (always speculation) then it will be good to see him back and strong come next season, in time for training camp. However, it will be sad to see any of coaching staff leave. Life Goes On.
  

- SirLaker AKA Zo

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