Long before Khloé Kardashian married Lamar Odom, she was dating former NBA lottery pick Rashad McCants. Now, more than 15 years later, McCants is offering a very different version of that relationship—one that starts with a bombshell admission.
During a recent appearance on the TFU Podcast, the former North Carolina star claimed he never intended to pursue Khloé in the first place. He recalled changing his Facebook status to "It's complicated," prompting Khloé to ask what was going on. According to McCants, he replied, "It's complicated... We have an agreement. This is not, 'I like you.' I like your sister [Kim]."
McCants dated Kardashian for roughly seven months between late 2008 and early 2009 after being introduced through Kim Kardashian's then-boyfriend, Reggie Bush. The romance played out in the public eye and ended with cheating allegations from Khloé, though McCants has long insisted parts of that storyline were manufactured for reality television.
Before becoming a reality TV headline, McCants had already built an impressive basketball résumé, winning an NCAA championship at North Carolina before the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.
Since retiring, he's become a familiar basketball analyst through Gilbert Arenas' media platforms while continuing to revisit pivotal moments from his playing career.
McCants also suggested that the attention surrounding the relationship quickly became more trouble than it was worth. "It got too much," he said. "I was like, 'You know what? I'm cool, man. I'm cool.' I haven't seen her since."
Asked whether he escaped the so-called "Kardashian curse," McCants laughed off the idea, saying, "I got out. You gotta ask Lamar... Him and Ray J... Ask them."
Later that year, Kardashian met Lakers star Lamar Odom, and the pair married after a whirlwind courtship.
