Former NBA star Delonte West has finally entered rehab after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban picked him up off a city street.
West, who once competed for championships as LeBron James’ teammate in Cleveland over a decade ago, has degenerated to the point where he was begging for money and food on street corners and interstate exit ramps.
Sports fans were shocked as they juxtaposed the mental image of a fearless, talented basketball player in 2010 who, 10 years later, looked emaciated and disheveled, holding a cardboard sign. A few social media users in Dallas snapped photos of West.
#DelonteWest
I thought folks (NBA, etc) were supposed to have stepped up like a year ago? pic.twitter.com/IL61d9lu7H— … (@ali_N_pdx) September 24, 2020
A host of family members, friends, the NBA Players Association and former NBA colleagues have been trying for years to help rehabilitate West, to no avail, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Finally, Cuban was able to reach West and got him a hotel room. West played for Cuban’s Mavericks during the 2010-11 season. After connecting the former player with his mother, West agreed to enter a rehab facility far away at an undisclosed location in Florida.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Cuban has offered to pay the expenses associated with West’s room, lodging and care at the facility. They also report that West’s inner circle holds out hope that he will finally complete rehab this time and come out on the other side a more restored individual.
