The sad story of former NBA star Delonte West’s post-playing career continued earlier this month.
West, 39, was arrested in Virginia after cops were called to a local parking lot on Oct. 15. When they arrived, they found West trespassing in a vehicle, according to TMZ.
As cops attempted to put him in handcuffs, West fled and took off running, according to the police report. Officers were eventually able to track him down, and he was arrested on four charges: vehicle trespassing, entering a vehicle, fleeing from law enforcement and drunk in public.
Per the report, he was released from custody the next day.
West has dealt with a highly publicized battle with addiction and bipolar disorder since his playing days. In recent years, he has been seen panhandling in various locations across the country, with some speculating that he had been homeless.
In 2020, with the help of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, West entered a rehab facility in Florida, and appeared to be making progress, at one point training for a basketball comeback in Ice Cube’s Big3 league. However, he was a no-show for the draft and appeared to have relapsed in incidents afterward.
In 2021, he was arrested in Florida after banging on the door of a police station holding two open containers of alcohol. Earlier this year, he was spotted panhandling again outside of a 7-11 in Virginia, though he later said he was doing fine and was just trying to provide for his family.
The latest arrest is another setback for the former NBA player, who spent time with the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks before a brief stint in China. He last played in the NBA in 2012.
