In January 2020, NBA fans tried to contact Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban about one of his former players. Some people had spotted Delonte West homeless and living on the streets of Dallas. Months later, Cuban has reportedly provided assistance to the former NBA player.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Cuban helped reunite West with his mother in Dallas on Monday. The former player then reportedly entered a rehab facility in Florida. TMZ Sports also reports that Cuban tried for days to contact West on the phone. They ultimately connected and agreed to meet a Texas gas station. Cuban took West to a hotel where they could wait for his mother, and they convinced him to enter rehab.
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Sources told TMZ Sports that West’s family and friends have been trying to convince him to go to rehab. He is reportedly open to the idea now and has willingly entered the facility in Florida. Cuban reportedly offered to cover West’s treatment costs. The Mavericks owner later confirmed to ESPN that he picked up West and that he is trying to help him get his life back on track.
Once a first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft, the point guard spent eight seasons in the league. He played for the Celtics, as well as the Seattle Supersonics, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Dallas Mavericks. He once accounted for more than 4,000 points and appeared in more than 400 games while averaging 9.7 points and 3.6 assists per game. West also earned more than $16 million in his career, per reports.
Following his time in the NBA, West spent time with both the D-League and in China. However, he was waived by the Texas Legends in early 2015 and disappeared from the public eye. He ultimately resurfaced in 2011 when he applied for a job at the Home Depot. Some people also spotted him barefoot and wearing a hospital robe at a Jack In the Box in Houston, Texas.
Late in January 2020, West was involved in a fight with another man near the MGM National Harbor casino, which is located just across the border from Washington, D.C. Police officers arrived at the scene and found a man bleeding from the face. They made the decision to handcuff West while questioning him.
Video surfaced from this interaction with police and went viral on social media. Prince George’s County Police conducted an investigation and learned that one of the officers had shot the video. They ultimately suspended the officer for the transgression.
