Lamar Odom released from Las Vegas hospital

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles the ball in the game against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on December 21, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Former NBA star Lamar Odom has been released from a Las Vegas hospital after showing signs of improvement.

His hospitalisation follows an alleged four day drug-fuelled binge at Love Ranch brothel in Nevada which left him fighting for his life.

E! Online entertainment news website said Odom was being moved to a medical facility nearer his Los Angeles home.

Doctors judged Odom, 35, was stable enough to be moved after regaining consciousness last week and continuing to recover throughout the weekend.

The report said he remained on dialysis because of a kidney problem, but had passed a swallowing test and could breathe independently.

E! said Odom was communicating using hand signals. Earlier on Monday, a family statement said Odom was improving steadily.

"Each day Lamar is getting stronger and reaching significant milestones in his recovery," a statement from Odom's aunt JaNean Mercer said.

"We are committed to remaining by his side as a family for our champion, who we love immensely.

"There has been an outpouring of support from Odom's former NBA teammates and his estranged wife Khloe Kardashian has been at his side."

Odom won NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, and married Kardashian in 2009 during a splashy televised wedding.

His connection to the celebrity Kardashian clan widened his fame, and while she filed for divorce in 2013, the split has reportedly never been finalised.

- AP