Delonte West is a former NBA Basketball player having played for teams like Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He also had a stint abroad in the Chinese Basketball League where he played for teams like Fujian Xunxing and Shanghai Sharks. Once estimated to have been earning close to USD 14 million, a recent video of the former NBA star has surfaced where he was seen begging for money.
On June 12, 2022, pictures of former NBA star Delonte West went viral on social media where he was seen to be begging for money. The pictures made their way online weeks after speculation that he could be included in a team in the BIG3 league which is a 3v3 basketball league founded by hip hop musician and actor Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. However, he was supposedly snubbed from the selection, and in the following weeks, he was pictured begging for money on the streets.
Delonte West is no stranger to the lavish lifestyle that is often associated with professional basketball players. However, a series of bad events in his life has knocked him down in what must surely be one of his low moments in life.
Early Life
Delonte West had a difficult childhood and also dealt with the nightmares of drug addiction at a very young age. However, he was able to turn around his life when he was the 24th draft pick for the Boston Celtics in the NBA. Even though he only played 39 games due to an injury, West managed to make his presence known on the court and looked like a staple on the team. In 2007, he was traded to the Seattle Supersonics, and then, in 2008, he was traded to Cleveland Cavaliers with whom he eventually signed a three-year contract. After 3 years he was again traded back to the Boston Celtics as a backup for Rajon Rondo. By 2013, West was floundering in the league, so he went to the NBA-D league for a year and soon after that left for China to play in the Chinese League.
However, his financial problems had already started. Delonte West helped out his family financially, he still had to reportedly take a job at Home Depot in 2011 due to his financial issues. Another rock bottom moment was his struggle with money after filing for a divorce with his first wife and having to use his resources to fight various cases, which eventually left him financially handicapped. In 2013, he married Caressa Madden, and they had two sons together.
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Delonte West’s Net Worth as of 2022
According to several reports, Delonte West is said to have a net worth of USD 1 thousand as of 2022. It might come as shocking to some since he was earning close to USD 14 million when he was a part of an NBA team. Delonte West earned most of his net worth from the deals with 4 different teams as there weren’t any major endorsement deals associated with him. He had a salary of at least USD 16 million when he was under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, his addictions to drugs and alcohol made his life difficult and would eventually ruin his career.
Delonte West is a wonderful basketball player who had his ups and downs in life. However, given his battle with the demons of addiction, the man is still hopeful to make a comeback to the basketball scene. In a candid interview, he was quoted to say “It is what it is,” in response to the viral video that had recently surfaced online. He went on to further add “I got children. I’m in between jobs. People can help me as much as they can, but you know, as a man I gotta do what I gotta do for my babies,”.
Delonte West certainly is down on his luck due to his financial problems and trouble with addiction, but it is a testament to his unwavering spirit to get his life back on track. He is hopeful to one day join an NBA coaching staff. “I was looking forward to being a head coach or assistant coach in the NBA this season but as I said, it’s a business that has a lot of people involved and wanna stay involved. Prayerfully, luckily I’ll be up for discussion this upcoming season,” West was quoted saying. We sincerely hope Delonte West finds his footing in life and can bounce back from his predicaments. We will be cheering on from the sidelines.
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