Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban has become the latest concerned figure to intervene in the troubled life of former St. Joseph's University basketball star and NBA player Delonte West, who was spotted panhandling in Dallas during the past week.
West spent one full season with the Mavericks in 2011-2012 during his eight-year career. He was waived by the team for disciplinary reasons in what became his final NBA season. At St. Joe's, West was a star on the undefeated 2003-04 team, along with Jameer Nelson, that advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
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Now 37 years old, West has dealt with bipolar disorder for years, often times in the public eye. He's previously been spotted, apparently homeless, in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and in D.C. videos surfaced earlier this year showing him in an altercation.
Members of West's family reportedly told TMZ that Cuban had been trying to reach West for several days and had arranged to meet his former player at a gas station in Dallas on Monday. Cuban took West to a hotel as a step toward coordinating a plan for him to get help.
West's family and friends reportedly have been urging him to enter rehab and receive intensive treatment. Sources told TMZ Cuban is willing to help cover the cost.
In January, Nelson and former St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli wrote that they were attempting to get West help after the incident in Washington, D.C. Former Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who coached West in Boston, also has made attempts to come to West's aid in the past.
Former NBA star Ron Artest also has been public about his struggles with bipolar disorder and how therapy has helped him successfully manage his mental health. Other NBA players, including Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozen, have opened up in recent years about their struggles with anxiety and depression.
West's supporters shared gratitude on Twitter for Cuban's willingness to help.