A video of what appears to be former NBA player Delonte West yelling incoherently while sitting on a Washington D.C. sidewalk in handcuffs surfaced online Monday night.
What We Know:
- Reports are unclear why West, who in 2015 said he had been diagnosed as bipolar, was being physically assaulted. In the video showing him in handcuffs, he tells a person questioning him that he was walking down the street and that someone approached him with a gun. The video also shows West being kicked and punched in the middle of the street.
- According to a report from TMZ sports, a witness told police that West initiated the altercation by hitting the other man with a glass bottle.
- Thousands expressed concern for the NBA veteran, urging that he receive the proper support. Fox 5 DC reported, Prince George’s Country Police Chief Hank Stawinski said, “Based on the video that I find and I know you find troubling, I’ve asked our mental health capacity to reach out to the individuals involved in this and to do a follow up.”
- Former teammate Jameer Nelson said in a statement on Twitter, “Mental illness is something that a lot of people deal with and don’t even know it, until it’s sometimes too late.”
- Former Saint Joseph’s coach, Phil Martelli said on Twitter, “Over the past several hours I have talked with many who are willing to help….we are reaching out to our basketball network to get the professional help Delonte needs.”
- Lebron James, who played with West on the Cavs from 2007 to 2010, has not yet responded to the videos as of early Tuesday morning. In 2015, West credited James with helping him get through difficult issues.
- Furthermore, the NBA offered support to West’s family; but, they suggested the support go toward the well-being of the NBA veteran.
West played nine seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, Seattle, the Cavs, and Dallas Mavericks. He last played in the league for the Mavericks in 2012. There are reports that West is homeless and has been panhandling, both of which he denied.
https://twitter.com/N90sKindOfWorld/status/1219339349843763203?s=20
