Delonte West, a retired professional basketball player, has a net worth of only $1 thousand despite earning around $14 million in salary during his career. However, West’s life has taken a tragic turn as he has struggled deeply with drugs and other issues since his retirement.
Unfortunately, West is one of the worst examples of a professional athlete whose life fell apart after leaving the game.
Delonte West was born on July 26, 1983 in Washington DC. He attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland before playing college basketball at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. West and his teammate Jameer Nelson formed one of the best backcourts in the country and helped lead St. Joseph’s to the Elite Eight in the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
Delonte West was drafted by The Boston Celtics as the 24th Pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He only played 39 games in his first season due to struggles with injuries. West was appointed as the starting point guard for the 2005-06 season but was moved to the shooting guard position by the 2006-07 season. However, he struggled in the early stages and was subsequently moved back to point guard.
West was traded to the Seattle Supersonics in 2007 and then to the Cleveland Cavaliers in early 2008 as part of a three-team deal. As a Cavalier, West scored a season high of 20 points against the Boston Celtics just six days after the trade. In late 2008, West signed a three-year contract with the Cavaliers, worth $12.7 million, and took up the position of shooting guard and backup point guard.
West emerged as a highly skilled backcourt defensive player and an outstanding outside shooter, but the Cavaliers traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010. His time at the team was short-lived, and he signed a one-year contract with his old team, The Boston Celtics, to backup Rajon Rondo as a point guard. However, the contract came to a sharp halt following a guilty plea to weapons charges. West played for the Dallas Mavericks from 2011 to 2012 and then spent a few years playing overseas.
Despite earning $14 million during his NBA career, Delonte West has faced numerous personal and financial challenges. He reportedly lived in the Mavericks locker room during the NBA lockout and was forced to sell off his jewelry and cars. He even applied for a temporary job at Home Depot to make ends meet.
Recently, photos surfaced of West looking destitute and perhaps homeless. In September 2020, he was photographed panhandling on the streets of Dallas. Fortunately, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban picked West up off the streets and brought him to a drug treatment program. For a time, it seemed like West’s fortunes had reversed as he reunited with his family and found work at the rehab facility.
However, in October 2021, West was arrested in Florida, indicating that his struggles continue.
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