Former NBA player Lamar Odom, who was recently signed by a Spanish league team, is going back to the United States not to sign a contract with a NBA team but to recuperate from an injured back.

ESPN. com is reporting that Odom will be allowed by his team, Laboral Kutxa Baskonia, to return to his country for evaluation and treatment of his back injury. This comes after Odom played just two games for the Vitoria-based club. Odom signed a two-month contract with the team last February and it is still not clear whether he will return to the club before the end of the Spanish basketball season.

Odom hooked up with the said team in order to jumpstart his basketball career. The franchise had also employed other current NBA players like Goran Dragic, Tiago Splitter, Jose Calderon and Luis Scola. However, the two-time NBA champion with the LA Lakers just logged 23 minutes in two games and was clearly out of basketball shape.

The development is the latest setback in Odom's turbulent career. He was said to be close to signing a contract with the LA Clippers last November after coach Doc Rivers invited him to practice. But he was not offered a contract, and the Clippers signed three other veterans - Hedo Turkoglu, Stephen Jackson and former teammate Sasha Vujacic.

While only Turkoglu has remained with the Clippers, Odom decided to go overseas to get himself back in shape. He teamed up with another NBA veteran, Andres Nocioni, with the said team.

Will Odom be able to return to the NBA? Tell us @SportsWN.