The Boston Celtics are among those who’ve tried to help Delonte West.
West, who played parts of four seasons with the Celtics (2004-07, 2010-11), landed in the news this week when a pair of videos surfaced showing the former NBA guard in a troubled state. One video showed West being assaulted in the middle of a street, while the other showed the 36-year-old speaking incoherently to police while shirtless and handcuffed.
There since has been an outpouring of support for West, whose last NBA regular-season game came in 2012 with the Dallas Mavericks. And The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday, citing sources, that Danny Ainge even gave West a scouting job in recent years, which the Celtics president of basketball operations confirmed Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich.”
“Delonte has worked for us for a couple of years at times doing some scouting — college scouting — in the D.C. and Philly area, yes,” Ainge said.
Ainge declined to go into specifics about West’s scouting opportunities or the “very complicated” situation in which the 2004 first-round pick now finds himself, but Charania wrote Tuesday that West has had mixed results in the role due to fluctuating attendance. According to Charania, West’s close friends and family all have stepped in whenever they could.
West revealed in 2008 he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and new details about his recent roadside incident in Maryland have heightened awareness regarding his mental health.
“I’ve been in contact with Delonte over the last few years — since his career has ended, periodically, off and on,” Ainge said Thursday. “But Delonte has obviously some troubles and some trials that he’s trying to deal with in his life, and I just hope that he can fix his life and get back on a good path.”
“I know that the Players Association is probably the most appropriate one to be the head of whatever it is to try to get him back on track, and I think they’ve done a good job, and I know they’ve tried with Delonte,” he added. “I also know that he has a circle of people that he’s close with. I know that there’s lot of people that are praying and trying to do what they can to help.”
West, a product of St. Joseph’s, played for the Seattle SuperSonics and Cleveland Cavaliers in addition to the Celtics and Mavericks.
