Professional sports are a gateway for a lot of people that come from terrible backgrounds to change their lives and amass wealth that their families never had. The NBA has more rag-to-riches stories than most other professions, with some of the greatest athletes coming from impoverished backgrounds and building a life for themselves off the back of their hard work. However, not every story has a happy ending.
Former player Delonte West is a prime example of this. Despite an 8-year career in the NBA, which is nearly double the average NBA career length, West’s life since he stopped playing basketball has been quite tragic. The former player has struggled with addiction and mental illness and has in recent times been spotted panhandling on highways, begging for money.
Things were looking up for West for a while after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made a concerted effort to help him get his life back on track. But it didn’t end up working out, with West ending up back on the street. And every once in a while, Cuban is asked about whether he knows how West is living at this time.
Mark Cuban Revealed That He Has Been In Contact With Delonte West Amid The Former Maverick’s Recent Struggles
The responsibility of ensuring that another man lives his life well is never on another person, but Mark Cuban has tried his best to help West out. It’s reached a point though, where even the billionaire cannot do anymore. As reported by TMZ recently, Cuban explained that while he has been in contact with West, there’s not much more he can do till Delonte decides to help himself.
“It’s a struggle for him,” Cuban said. “I mean, addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful. He’s at the point in his life where he’s got to want to be helped.
“You know, he’s got to want to help himself first. I’ve tried. I know it’s tough on him, but I wish him nothing but the best.”
The sad truth of life is that despite all the help in the world, sometimes people can’t make their way out of a bad situation. West’s story shows just how bad it can get even for the people that are supposed to have made it, and many fans are still hoping for a happy ending. Hopefully, he can find his way and get back to living a life that doesn’t see him struggling on the streets.
