Published 19:31 IST, January 20th 2021
Did Delonte West's NBA career derail after his alleged affair with LeBron James' mother?
Delonte West, currently working at a rehab facility, was involved in a scandal for dating LeBron James' mother Gloria while with the Cavaliers.
Last year, Delonte West was in the news after a video of the former NBA star homeless and beaten was shared online. The video sparked a series of tweets by people, seeking help for the 37-year-old. Months later, West was helped to a rehab facility by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban – where he has also found a job.
Delonte West and LeBron James' mother scandal
While West played in the NBA for almost a decade, he is infamous for the scandal involving himself and LeBron James' mother Gloria. In 2010, reports and rumours spoke about West dating Gloria, something which James was apparently not fond of. As per the source which spoke to a gossip blog, Delonte was sleeping with Gloria – which James found out before Game 4 (2010 Eastern Conference semifinal), hampering the team's chemistry.
Did Delonte West's NBA career go downhill after rumoured affair with Gloria James?
While West denied the rumours, he was traded to the Boston Celtics next season. Some reports spoke about James orchestrating the deal, wanting to send West out of the Cavaliers. He played another season with the Dallas Mavericks before opting out.
Drafted as a Round 1 No. 24-pick by the Boston Celtics, West played with the team for three seasons before heading to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played with the Cavaliers and James till 2010, before being traded back to the Celtics. West scored 9.7 points per game in his career, while shooting 44.8% from the field during his nine-year career.
Delonte West street video showed former basketball star homeless
Mark Cuban helping out Delonte West 🙏 pic.twitter.com/r0P02abHHN
— DatPiff (@DatPiff) September 29, 2020
In January 2020, West was spotted being beaten up on the streets of Washington DC. The video of the incident was shared online, which was later asked to be taken down. Fans and NBA players jumped to West's support while issues about his mental health and bankruptcy surfaced. A few months later, photos of the former NBA star wandering the streets while asking for money were shared on social media.
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
While many reports spoke about the NBA community wanting to help him, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was the one who could, ultimately, reach out. Later, the 62-year-old business tycoon provided timely updates about West's situation. Now, West is working with the same institute he was recovering in.
What happened to Delonte West?
Delonte West now has a job at the therapy center in Florida he attended.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 19, 2021
Mavs owner Mark Cuban helped reunite West with his mother and has remained in contact with West 🙏
(via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/SPdalosb0r
(Image credits: LeBron James Instagram, NBA site)
Updated 19:31 IST, January 20th 2021