Former NBA star Delonte West was taken into custody by police earlier this week amid some scary circumstances.
Police in Fairfax County, Va., responded to a call on Monday about a male who was found unconscious and did not appear to be breathing, according to a report from TMZ. When officers arrived at the scene, they found that West was breathing and were able to talk to him. Police offered to take West to a hospital, but he refused.
West was so intoxicated that police placed him under arrest for his own safety. He has since been released, and it is unclear if he will face any charges.
The 42-year-old West has struggled with addiction and been arrested multiple times since his playing career ended. He was arrested on multiple charges last year and was believed to have suffered an overdose when officers found him.
West was also taken into custody in Fairfax County in October 2022 after witnesses saw him trespassing in a vehicle and he tried to flee from police. The former point guard was spotted in June 2022 panhandling on the side of a freeway in Virginia. That was the second time he was seen panhandling since 2020, when he was seen doing the same in the Dallas area.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has tried to help West, who spent the last season of his NBA career with Cuban’s team. Cuban helped set West up with a rehab program several years ago, and it appeared West was doing well for a while.
West spent eight seasons in the NBA with the Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and Cleveland Cavaliers. He also played in the NBA G League and and professionally in China. West averaged 9.7 points per game during his NBA career.
