A new video has emerged that shows an almost unrecognizable Delonte West panhandling on Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia, over the weekend. West, who once played with LeBron James for Cleveland Cavaliers, was spotted in the viral video, with some people being able to recognize him who tried to help him.
Moreover, the video comes just weeks after the ex-NBA star was reportedly trying to stage a basketball comeback. West, 38, was eligible to be drafted into Ice Cube's BIG3 league, but nobody selected him. And now he appears to be back on the streets begging for money after the big snub.
In Bad Condition
Over the weekend, a video surfaced on social media that shows a struggling West panhandling on the side of the roadway in Alexandria, Virginia. The video clicked by a fan shows West carrying a simple cardboard sign and asking for help.
West had been seen doing the same thing before Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban picked him up from a petrol station and provided him with some much-needed assistance. "My dog Delonte, how you doing my brother?" a fan says to the man assumed to be West in the video. The remark from West was not audible.
The person who shared the photos on Twitter appeared to be taken aback when he saw West on the side of the road.
"Seems Delonte West on Richmond highway in Virginia 2 days ago. What happened so quick? A few months ago I thought they were trying to get him into the Big3 league," he tweeted.
West, 38, was a two-year member of the Cavaliers' roster and a former teammate of LeBron James. He declared in April that he would be returning to basketball with The BIG3 (a 3-on-3 league involving former NBA players).
Troubled Past
West played with LeBron James for Cleveland Cavaliers 10 years back. He last played for the Dallas Mavericks, a franchise owned by Mark Cuban, but it was believed that he would return to the NBA after more than a decade away.
The Big 3 League recruits players who are nearing their 40th birthday and includes seasoned players who are no longer sought after by the NBA. Ice Cube launched the 3-3 basketball league in 2017, which consists of 12 teams and frequently invites former NBA players to bolster its rosters.
However, West's troubles are not new. In recent years, West has battled substance misuse and mental health issues in the public eye. The eight-year NBA veteran has also revealed that he suffers from bipolar disorder.
In September 2020, photos circulated showing West panhandling at an intersection in Dallas, Texas. Following that he was spotted by Cuban who picked him up from a gas station and took him for treatment. Cuban even paid the bills for his treatment and provided him with a hotel room to stay.
However, a source told DailyMail.com that West had been in rehab at least three times since then.
West appeared to have gotten his feet back under him after a relapse and subsequent arrest in October. He'd gotten back into shape in the hopes of making Ice Cube's BIG3 3-on-3 basketball league this summer. However, no one picked him up and now he again back on the streets begging for money.
West first made headlines in 2004 as part of a Saint Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the regular season and won a top seed in the NCAA tournament before falling in the Elite 8 to Oklahoma State.
He was then picked in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, then in 2008, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as a starter alongside LeBron James. After that, West bounced about the NBA, playing in the D-League and even signing with a Chinese team, but his mental health troubles began to dominate his career.
He was arrested in 2009 while riding a three-wheeled motorcycle, and authorities discovered three guns on his person. He eventually pleaded guilty to weapon charges and was sentenced to psychological counseling, probation, and community service, among other things.
A photo of him panhandling in suburban Washington, D.C. surfaced in 2016, although it was never confirmed that he was homeless at the time.
