Delonte West Struggles Continue; Mavs Owner Mark Cuban: ‘Addiction is Awful’
DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks are moving on to the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, but team owner Mark Cuban maintains a passionate interest in the welfare of a plater from the Mavs’ past.
"It's a struggle for him," Cuban said of Delonte West, who has been the focus of attempts to help from an assortment of friends and associates from his NBA days, a group led in prominence by Cuban. “Addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful.”
The Mavericks owner was recently in New York and visited with TMZ Sports , telling the outlet that he continues to work to maintain contact with West as the former player continues to battle his way to a better place.
West, now 39, played for four franchises during his eight years in the NBA, his career including Cuban's Mavs from 2011-2012. The DFW connection continued when he was given stints to play in Frisco with the Mavericks' G-League team, the Texas Legends, a pursuit that ended in 2015.
West has in recent years has been apparently homeless and seen panhandling in the streets of Dallas and his native Washington, DC. He has dealt with financial and legal problems as well. Cuban was instrumental in getting West into a rehab facility with what at times seemed to offer some positive results.
But clearly, Delonte West is still struggling to get on the right path.
“He's at the point in his life where he's got to want to be helped,” Cuban said. “He’s got to want to help himself first. I've tried. I know it's tough on him, but I wish him nothing but the best."
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