Former NBA Player Delonte West Continues to Face Hard Times: Details on His Virginia Arrest

Born in Washington, D.C., Delonte West was picked in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft. The same year, he signed a four-year contract with the Boston Celtics worth $4 million. At the time, the point guard had a promising future as his stats spoke for themselves.

Sadly, nearly a decade later, Delonte's career came crashing down. He has had multiple run-ins with the law and was spotted panhandling in 2022. So, what happened to Delonte, and how did he lose all of his money? Here’s a 2024 update on the former NBA player.

Along with the Boston Celtics, Delonte also played for the Seattle Supersonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Dallas Mavericks. But his years-long tenure as a professional athlete came to an end after a series of suspensions and arrests.

In 2012, he was hit with a 10-game suspension when he lost his temper following a preseason game. Although his suspension was lifted after only a day, he was charged with the same offense a little over a week later. On Oct. 29, 2012, the Dallas Mavericks announced their decision to let Delonte go.

Long after his exit from the NBA, Delonte continues to make headlines. In June 2022, the athlete was spotted begging for money in Virginia. But this isn’t the first time he’s gone viral.

During his time in the NBA, Delonte was candid about his mental illness.

According to Delonte, his mood disorder dates all the way back to his childhood. In an interview with The Washington Post, he expressed his previous inclinations to self-harm. The athlete shared that he had been diagnosed and sought treatment for bipolar disorder in 2008.

However, things went downhill for the athlete within a matter of months. A friend of the basketball player revealed that, at some point, he began self-medicating with embalming fluid and alcohol.

In 2009, he was arrested after a Maryland police officer found an arsenal of loaded guns in his car. Years later, he was spotted in Texas wandering around a Jack in the Box parking lot wearing a hospital gown. In 2020, Delonte found himself at the center of controversy yet again, after not one but two videos of the athlete went viral.

In one clip, Delonte can be seen sitting on a sidewalk in handcuffs. The other showed Delonte being attacked in the middle of the road. The viral videos prompted public outcry and it wasn’t long before Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stepped in to help.

Despite being checked into a rehabilitation center, Delonte was back on the streets within 12 months. In 2021, he was arrested by Florida police for disorderly conduct. Then, in June 2024, Delonte faced legal trouble once again and was booked into the Fairfax County Detention Center in Virginia on June 6, 2024, on two misdemeanor charges: violating conditions of release and resisting arrest, according to TMZ.

The department told TMZ that a chase ensued after police encountered Delonte, who was later found "unresponsive." They added that "Narcan was administered by officers, but [it] did not have the desired effect. He was transported to a local hospital and Narcan was administered again, which yielded the desired effect. West was released from the hospital and transported to the ADC."

Delonte was held on a $2,000 bond, but he no longer appears to be in police custody, according to an inmate record search. He's also not active on social media so it's hard to say what he's up to now.

Fans can only hope that Delonte finds the help he needs in order to get healthy and back up on his feet.