Former NBA hooper Delonte West has battled with mental health struggles since his retirement from the league in 2012.
During a recent interview, the former first-round draft pick revealed a heartbreaking admission about his decades of basketball experience.
“You know, sometimes I forget I even played basketball,” he said.
Delonte West to @OpokuShaq:
“You know, sometimes I forget I even played basketball.”
Man… 😢 pic.twitter.com/WwdqnoTV0M
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 9, 2022
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
In addition to his eight-year career in the NBA, West also served as a standout player for Eleanor Roosevelt High School and St. Joseph’s (2001-04). The 38 year old spent a significant portion of his life on the hardwood.
Pictures and videos of West homeless on the streets started circulating in 2019. Last year, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban picked him up at a gas station, reunited him with his mother and helped him pick a drug rehab facility. West, who’s vocalized his battle with bipolar disorder, took a job at the facility in 2021.
Hopefully West continues to progress on his path to recovery.