Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is doing everything he can to help former Mavs guard Delonte West turn his life around. It started when West was recently spotted panhandling on the streets of Texas. The photo went viral, and Cuban was able to reach out and locate West.
From there, Cuban then helped West reconnect with his family and get him into a Florida rehab facility. On Friday, Cuban tweeted out a photo of West horsebacking riding at the facility and taking his "first steps" towards recovery.
Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you, Delonte West . A long, long , long way to go, but he has taken the first steps and shared these with all of us as a thank you for the love and support. pic.twitter.com/555twAEVDP
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) October 9, 2020
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Cuban was able to find West on Sept. 29 after contacting West's mother, Delphina Addison. Cuban then stayed with West until Addison could make her way to them. The Mavericks owner then helped West enter a rehab facility.
Back in January, a video surfaced of West being attacked in the middle of the road in Washington D.C., where he is originally from. Following the incident, another video made its rounds on social media that showed West sitting shirtless on the curb. The video was taken by a Prince George's County (Md.) police officer and the officer was suspended for taking the video shortly after the incident.
West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder back in 2008 and had multiple brushes with the law since leaving the NBA in 2012. The veteran guard was selected by the Boston Celtics with the No. 24 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He ended up playing for the Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and, most recently, the Mavericks.
