OAKLAND, Calif. - He may not be a current member of the Cavaliers, but Delonte West isn't allowing that to deter him from enjoying this championship quest.
In an interview with Northeast Ohio Media Group, the former Cavalier guard revealed how LeBron James, on two occasions, helped redirect his route from going down a disastrous path and he discussed his love affair with the city of Cleveland.
According to West, both instances involving James occurred in his final season with the Cavaliers, the 2009-10 season.
It was in the thick of training camp. West, who battled depression and suffered from a severe stress disorder, was a month removed from a weapons charge that was hanging over his head. The unknown of the outcome of that situation deeply tormented the guard.
"I was dealing with so much guilt," West said. "I wasn't processing things right. I was under the impression that I was going to do nine years minimum. Everything I've ever dreamed of, the sweat and tears of what I worked for would all be wiped away."
Basketball? It was an afterthought. The downheartedness along with the criminal charges were too much to digest. He had to get away and he asked the head coach at the time, Mike Brown, for his consent to spend a few days in his home state of Maryland to clear his mind.
Being sensitive to the distress West was going through, Brown permitted the getaway, even though it was right before practice was to start.
West walked to the locker room to gather his belongings before embarking on his four-hour road trip. But before he could head for the exit, LeBron James entered and asked if he could speak with him for a minute.
"He sat with me in the locker room for like an hour and was rapping it up with me by giving me words of encouragement," West said. "Keep in mind, practice was still going on. He left practice and sat with me for a while, just keeping me company. He later walked me down the stairs and said, 'D, I don't know where you're going or what you're about to do, but I'll be right here when you get back.'
"My spirits were so high at that point. I don't know what would have happened had I left in the condition I was in prior. It's a testament to the type of person he is."
Another example he states was later in the season after a tough road loss. West didn't play up to standards and was being overly critical with himself. He was also still sweating what would come of his arrest.
It reached a boiling point; he lost it at the airport.
"The bus pulled up to escort us to the plane and I just broke down crying. I felt like my career was over. I was [expletive] up. I was concerned that my nieces and nephews wouldn't look at me the same anymore. I let the team go ahead of me. I wasn't getting on."
In his mind, his game was tailing off and he was carrying a huge weight he couldn't support. West wasn't sure what his next move would be. He just believed the team would be better off without him considering what he was dealing with.
Fortunately, he never made it out of that airport alone.
A few minutes went by and James peeked out the front door of the aircraft, looking around for somebody. He finally spotted West and went after him along with Randy Mims, a member of James' "Four Horsemen."
"Man, LeBron and Randy just fellowshipped with me and then the next thing I knew, here comes [teammate] Lorenzen Wright before, rest in peace. He came out there and grabbed me, picked me up, bear hugging me. He hugged me for like five minutes. He literally had me up and they walked me up to the plane. Lorenzen read me Bible scriptures the whole plane ride. That team was a family and LeBron was a big reason why."
Wright passed in the summer of 2010 so this account must have occurred amid the 2008-09 season, Wright's lone season with the Cavaliers.
Had James not noticed his backcourt mate wasn't on board, West, with a laugh, says he has an idea of who would have come in search of him.
"Knowing Coach Brown, he would have been like, 'Um, D, we kind of got to get out of here. We'll help you any way we can, but they're charging us for gas here,'" West said while imitating his coach with a chuckle. "That's my best Coach Brown impersonation."
That following summer, after the Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round, West pleaded guilty to the weapons charges and was placed on probation and sentenced to 40 hours of community service. He eluded jail time, something he prayed for and had anguished over.
With the help of his teammates, they played integral roles in keeping West in the right frame of mind that year. Sadly, the team would be broken up when James bolted to South Beach during the offseason. Shortly after, West was traded to Minnesota, where he was waived. He went on to play for Boston and Dallas before going overseas.
Although James was a key figure in how West coped with his depression, he admits they don't talk much. However, he says that doesn't mean a thing when it comes to their relationship.
"It's hard to have great friends in professional sports because you're so busy with your schedule, but if James befriends you, then he's your friend until the end," West said. "That's hard to say about a player, let alone a megastar. When we do see each other, it's like you were with him playing video games yesterday. That's a credit to his character and his humbleness in how he was raised."
And while the Cavaliers get set to take on the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals on Thursday, West made sure to express where his allegiance lies.
"I'm going for the Cavs all the way," he said. "To this day, I still wear my Cavs hat and game shorts. Out of all the teams I've played for, that was a special period in my life."
This time of the year always brings him back to those up-and-coming Cavalier squads that he says built the foundation of putting Cleveland back in the spotlight. The last few years West has played in China and he says there are No. 23 Cavalier jerseys everywhere.
He's proud of what they were able to accomplish together, but on a personal note, he's not done with the NBA. He wants one more shot, saying, "I can help a team right now if they're looking for a sixth man or a third guard." But even if a general manager grants that request, he knows it will never be like the old days.
"We had some good times then," he reflected. "With the emergence of LeBron's career in the NBA, it propelled the Cavaliers to a world name. You see Cleveland frequently. That being said, I feel like I was a part of a championship program. I feel like I'm a part of what's going on now."
The 51-year championship drought the city of Cleveland has endured could come to an end in the next couple of weeks. West understands the pain of the city. He empathizes, knowing how special the people are that make up Northeast Ohio.
And that's why he wants to see them bring the gold home.
"The love LeBron and my teammates showed me is an extension of the city," he said. "It's the city of Brotherly Love to me. I'm pulling for them all the way."