Delonte West has been down. But he’s apparently not out.
West’s mother recently told TMZ Sports that her son is getting his life back together and is working toward returning to the NBA. West, who turns 33 next week, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2011-12 season.
The comeback attempt comes on the heels of some concerning incidents involving West, who’s battling mental health issues, his mom says. The former first-round pick was found wandering the streets of Houston in February, reportedly hallucinating after receiving the wrong medication. And he was spotted holding a cardboard sign in a photo that went viral last month, kicking off speculation that West was homeless.
“People did see him holding a sign but what they don’t know was there was a homeless guy standing out across from my place and Delonte saw him and wanted to help him out,” West’s mom told TMZ Sports, clarifying the viral photo. “Delonte is not homeless. He’s living with his wife and kids.”
According to West’s mom, the former NBA guard is back on his medication, is in a good place and has been working out. Things sound like they’re trending in the right direction.
“Delonte told me, ‘Mom, if it took some things that I had to do to show me some wisdom, I thank God for that,’ ” West’s mom said, per TMZ Sports. “He is a heck of a player … and he said, ‘It’s showtime!’ He’s ready to come back.”
West played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks over the course of eight NBA seasons. Stay tuned to see if he eventually can add a ninth season to his résumé.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
