NEWS: Former NBA star Lamar Odom was found unconscious at a Nevada Brothel on 12 October 2015, but contrary to online reports he isn't dead yet.
Shortly after former NBA star Lamar Odom was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel on 12 October 2015, the fake news web site TMZ Today published a fake news story reporting that Odom had passed away:
Retired NBA player Lamar Odom has passed away this evening at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Odom just 35, was rushed to the Las Vegas hospital after being found unconscious at the Love Ranch brothel, approximately 70 miles away from Las Vegas.
This is not true. As of this writing, Lamar Odom is not dead. The former NBA player was found unresponsive but is currently being treated at a hospital:
The former Los Angeles Laker and member-by-marriage of the Kardashian family was in a Las Vegas hospital and there was no immediate word on his condition, officials said.
The Nye County Sheriff's Department was called at about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday to Love Ranch in Crystal, Nevada, about 70 miles outside of Las Vegas for a report of an unresponsive man needing an ambulance, Sheriff Sharon A. Wehrly said in a statement.
Dennis Hof, the owner of the Love Ranch Odom was visiting, told the Associated Press that the former NBA star had taken some herbal Viagra and was drinking cognac during his visit. It's unclear if this intake led to Odom's collapse:
"He just wanted to get away, have a good time and relax," Hof told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
Hof said Odom was "happy, he was sleeping every night," while visiting, but two women went to check on Odom Tuesday afternoon after not hearing from him since early morning, and found him face down and unconscious.
When they turned him on his side at the direction of a 911 operator, Odom started "throwing up all kinds of stuff."
E! Online reported that the former basketball player had overdosed on a variety of drugs:
A source inside Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas tells us that "drugs were found in his system," and doctors are treating the situation as an "overdose." Lamar remains unconscious and on a ventilator but is still alive. It also appears that the former Los Angeles Lakers player suffered from a "loss of oxygen but also possible stroke."
ESPN reported that Odom was "fighting for his life" and that authorities would provide an update on his condition later in the day:
A source told ESPN that Odom is fighting for his life and "the next 48 hours are critical."
The Nye County Sheriff's Department will hold a press conference at 7 p.m. ET to provide an update on the situation. Odom's current medical condition is uncertain. One thing we can say, however, is that the report of his death published by the clickbaiting web site