Delonte West was arrested again on Nov. 3 in Fairfax County after officers responding to a call that a man had been “found unconscious and not breathing” located the former NBA guard breathing but highly intoxicated. Police and EMS found West near Fair Haven Avenue and Richmond Highway.
When officers offered to take him to a hospital, he refused. Authorities say “he was so intoxicated, he was arrested for his own safety.” West has since bonded out, and it is unclear whether formal charges will follow as per TMZ reports.
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This latest arrest adds to a long history of legal troubles and personal struggles. Almost exactly one year earlier, Fairfax police booked West for trespassing after he returned to a location that had banned him. In June 2024 he was taken into custody in Virginia after being found unresponsive and later accused of resisting arrest and violating conditions of release.
MORE: NBA insider explains why Dallas Mavericks can’t achieve much in the West
In 2009, a traffic stop turned up three loaded firearms, and in 2021, he was arrested in Florida for public intoxication after banging on a police station door.
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West’s basketball career ran from 2004 to 2012, when he played eight NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. His on-court life faded as bipolar disorder, addiction and homelessness took hold. The NBA community and former associates have repeatedly tried to help.
Perhaps the most public effort came from Mark Cuban, who in 2020 picked West up at a Dallas gas station, paid for treatment at a rehab facility and reunited him with his mother. Cuban later acknowledged the limits of what outside help can accomplish against deep mental-health and addiction challenges.
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For West, the path forward remains fragile. Supporters stress treatment over punishment as he continues to battle for stability and sobriety. Recovery will require care and support.
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