A former Cleveland Cavaliers guard is about 10 months sober and set to make his boxing debut. When he was asked how he has trained, his answer drew laughs from his opponent.
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Delonte West, who spent years battling substance abuse and homelessness, faces fellow former NBA player Michael Beasley at Brand Risk 16, Adin Ross’ event in Miami. Asked about his training at the pre-fight press conference, West said:
“I’ve been training for the last 10 years. Living on the street, homeless as an addict. I’ll fight you over 20 cents. I’ve been beating old men up in the park for 10 years.”
His answer was a lot different than Beasley’s, who said that he felt “confident” having gotten in shape for the fight for Brand Risk Promotion. To those who don’t know West, the answer might be surprising.
However, hardcore fans know that tragic story. West averaged 12.2 points for the Boston Celtics in 2006-07 and 11.7 for the Cavaliers in 2008-09. In August 2011, during the NBA lockout, he even applied for a job at Home Depot. He signed with the Dallas Mavericks that December. In October 2012, the team suspended him twice in two weeks, the first time for conduct detrimental to the team after a locker-room incident.
The Mavericks ultimately waived him later that month, and that would be his last time playing in the NBA apart from his time playing in the Summer League some time later.
In 2016, fans spotted him in Texas wearing only a hospital gown and being barefoot. The player’s history with mental health struggles was well known by this time because he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2008, which the player would later dispute.
In the years that followed, reports that he was homeless spread online. The Celtics gave him a scouting role, but his attendance was reportedly inconsistent. In September 2020, then-Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who reportedly picked West up at a Dallas gas station, reunited him with his mother and offered to pay for his stay at a rehab facility in Florida.
The treatment may not have had the desired effect, at least at the time. West was arrested multiple times in Fairfax County, Virginia. In 2022, he was arrested for trying to enter a vehicle that wasn’t his. In June 2024, officers found him unresponsive and revived him with Narcan.
However, the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard seems to have recovered from his issues. In March 2026, he reported being 100 days sober, and in a recent conversation, he said that the number had gone up to 10 months.
He fights Beasley on Friday, October 16th, 2026. At 43, it could be the start of a boxing career.