Delonte West beating video: Former NBA basketball star filmed beaten & rambling as former teammates decry mental health issues & seek intervention for the former great.
Video of former NBA great, Delonte West being viciously beaten along a Washington D.C street by an unknown assailant and then incoherently rambling upon police arriving has led to the player’s former teammates & coaches seeking an intervention over concern for his mental health.
In a pair of disturbing videos – since gone viral on social media (see below), West is seen being pummeled on a traffic-lined highway by a man wearing a leather jacket before unleashing an unintelligible rant to police in the aftermath of the attack.
West, who previously revealed that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2008, is not seen fighting back. Rather, the 6-foot-4 Washington D.C. native appears to be incapacitated as his assailant stomps on his motionless body.
Price George’s County (Maryland) Police arrived on the scene, leading to West being seen handcuffed. According to police, a female witness claimed the fight began when one man hit the other with a bottle. The other man allegedly responded by repeatedly hitting the first man, presumably West.
Both men refused medical assistance and declined to press charges. Neither were publicly identified by police, but West is seen rambling incoherently about the incident in a second video, which was recorded by police.
The men were known to each other, according to the police statement.
Apparently Delonte West was seen getting beat up in the street this Morning. I went to school with him and it’s crazy to see just how his life has gone downhill since the NBA. pic.twitter.com/chm6Sbu9h6
— Measha⚡️ (@N90sKindOfWorld) January 20, 2020
This is not funny 😕 #socialmedia I’m sure some of your family members are battling with the same demons. #DelonteWest pic.twitter.com/rulc1bYR69
— Own Your Masters (@ThaArchitect) January 21, 2020
In one of the videos, the former NBA basketball player great is heard rambling, ‘I walking down the street,’ adding, ‘Then he approached me (inaudible) with a gun.’
The officer speaking with West asks him where his assailant’s gun is.
‘I don’t give a f***,’ West is heard yelling.
After repeating that answer a few times, West can be heard mentioning President Donald Trump‘s name before shouting, ‘I’m the real f***ing president.’
It remained unclear who exactly filmed the incidents and then posted the Delonte West beating video scenes on social media.
The episode led to West’s former Saint Joseph’s University teammate, ex-NBA star Jameer Nelson, and their one-time coach Phil Martelli, each expressing concern on social media.
‘I’m sick today,’ Nelson wrote. ‘Mental illness is something that a lot of people deal with and don’t even know it, until sometimes it’s too late. I’m not sure what exactly is going on with Dwest but he knows I’m in his corner and will help him get through this.
‘Yes, I’ve spoken to him Over the past several months, just trying to be there for him as a friend.’
Nelson ended his statement by pleading for everyone to be respectful.
‘And please be mindful, when you posting vdeos or pictures of somebody,’ he wrote. ‘You may think your (sic) helping but you might be hurting them even more. People have kids and their kids don’t deserve to be embarrassed. Please Pray!’
Martelli, now an assistant coach at Michigan, responded to Nelson’s statement on Twitter: ‘Over the past several hours I have talked with many who are willing to help – please read and embrace Jameer’s wisdom – we are reaching out to our basketball network to get the professional help Delonte needs. This is so very painful.’
CBS Sports’ Seth Davis posted on Twitter that the incident is indicative of a larger problem in the United States: ‘Just catching up to the Delonte West video. We have a serious mental health crisis in this country, and that begins with the lack of available insurance to cover the costs and access to facilities. I truly hope he gets the help he needs.’
That’s Delonte West… this is really sad pic.twitter.com/aEBl8BmBtG
— G🔴⭕ner Since 1886™ (@BP_Rodgers) January 21, 2020
On Delonte West.
Mental health doesn’t discriminate. How we address it does. We all need to have a more realistic view of how we fall, so we can fall better. Because how we treat our most vulnerable is also a measure of who we are-and that can always be better. pic.twitter.com/lETnMJv6fa
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) January 21, 2020
A dizzy fall to from stardom to the streets:
A native of Washington, West first made headlines along with Nelson and Martelli on a Saint Joseph’s team that went 27-0 in the 2004 regular season and earned a top seed for the NCAA tournament before losing to Oklahoma State in the Elite 8.
West was then drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft and eventually became a starter alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008.
He continued to bounce around the NBA after that, playing in the D-League and even signing in China, but mental health issues began to overshadow his career the dailymail reports.
In 2009 he was pulled over riding a three-wheeled motorcycle, leading police to discover three firearms strapped to his body. He ultimately pleaded guilty to weapon charges and was ordered to undergo psychological counseling, in addition to probation and community service.
In 2016 a photo emerged of him panhandling in suburban Washington D.C., but it was never proven that he was actually homeless at the time.
According to Complex Sports, West was seen wandering around Houston without shoes four ears ago.
West earned over $16 million during his nine-year career, according to HoopsHype.com. It has not been reported that he is having financial problems. Unclear is if the former player is also struggling with substance abuse issues.
