Former NBA guard Delonte West is on the road to recovery for his addiction with the help of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who says the 37-year-old has taken serious steps forward.
Cuban even received pictures of West skydiving recently.
“I just got a picture today, he was skydiving — SKYDIVING,” Cuban told Barstool Sports. “He’s making progress. I just hope he stays with it. The first couple weeks are tough, but going through rehab and dealing with addiction that’s not easy.””
According to a friend, West was dealing with extreme paranoia while addicted to embalming fluid and alcohol. Roughly two weeks ago, Cuban helped West get off the streets in Dallas. After searching for him, Cuban got a hold of West’s mother and got his phone number from her.
“He didn’t call me back for a few days,” Cuban said. “Then he called me back and I told him, ‘Delonte, don’t move. I’m coming to get you.’ And that’s what I did: Went and got him a hotel room, let him sleep it off and went to get him some food.
“I sat there, waited for his mom to get there and waited with him. She got him on a plane and got him to rehab (in Florida).”
West, a former 24th-overall pick by the Boston Celtics in 2004, last played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks in 2012. Collectively, West appeared in 432 NBA games and recorded 4,198 points and 1,540 assists.