Former NBA player Delonte West has found himself in police custody once again, this time over an alleged robbery where the total amount taken was a mere $23.
A Pattern of Legal Issues Continues
According to reports from TMZ, law enforcement in Fairfax County, Virginia, responded to a call last month from an individual claiming they had been robbed in the Belle Haven area. The suspect was said to have fled the scene. However, upon the officers' arrival, the victim identified a man standing directly across the street as the culprit.
That man was identified as Delonte West, the 42-year-old former guard for the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. West was promptly taken into custody and later released on a $1,000 bond. He is scheduled to return to court in March.
Attorney's Statement and Path to Treatment
In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, West's attorney, Brandon Sloane, addressed the allegations. "We're aware of the allegations and are confident that in time this case will show itself to be one of things not being as they initially appear," Sloane said.
He added a note on West's current situation: "In the meantime, I am proud of Delonte as he has used this process to seek out help and been released on bond to a treatment facility. We all look forward to his continued progress."
A Troubled Post-NBA Journey
This incident is sadly not an isolated one for West, whose life after professional basketball has been marred by repeated encounters with the law. Just in November 2024, he was arrested in Los Angeles after being found unconscious on the street.
In that instance, police offered to take him to a hospital, but he refused and was arrested for his own safety. Earlier that same month, on November 1, an arrest warrant was issued for West after he allegedly refused to leave an area in Huntington, Virginia, from which he was banned. He was located and arrested the following day near the Huntington Metro station.
West's struggles have been public and protracted. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2008, though he has at times disputed this assessment. Despite earning over $16 million during a nine-year NBA career that ended in 2012 when he was just 28, his post-retirement years have been difficult.
The Fairfax County Police Department has been contacted for further details on the latest alleged robbery. For now, the case adds another chapter to the complex and challenging story of the former basketball star's life after the sport.
