Delonte West facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
Delonte West
Personal information
West with the Boston Celtics in 2011
Born	(1983-07-26) July 26, 1983 (age 42) Washington, D.C., U.S.
High school	Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Maryland)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
College	Saint Joseph's (2001–2004)
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	2004–2015
Career history
2004–2007	Boston Celtics
2007–2008	Seattle SuperSonics
2008–2010	Cleveland Cavaliers
2010–2011	Boston Celtics
2011–2012	Dallas Mavericks
2013	Texas Legends
2013–2014	Fujian Xunxing
2014	Shanghai Sharks
2015	Texas Legends

Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American – NABC, SN (2004) 2× First-team All-Atlantic 10 (2003, 2004)

Career NBA statistics
Points	4,198 (9.7 ppg)
Rebounds	1,265 (2.9 rpg)
Assists	1,540 (3.6 apg)

Delonte Maurice West (born July 26, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for teams like the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He also played professionally in China for the Fujian Xunxing and Shanghai Sharks, and for the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League. Before becoming a professional, West played college basketball for the Saint Joseph's Hawks.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Delonte Maurice West was born on July 26, 1983, in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland. His family often moved between different homes and relatives. Even though they didn't have much money, he remembered this time as a happy period. Delonte has mixed heritage, including African American, Native American (Piscataway), and White. Because of his lighter skin and reddish hair, he sometimes faced teasing when he was younger.

Delonte went to Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. There, he became an excellent basketball player. He played alongside Eddie Basden, who also later became an NBA player. Delonte helped lead the Roosevelt Raiders to their first state tournament. They reached the Maryland 4A championship game. In that game, West scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, but his team lost 70–58. He was named the Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year. This was because he averaged 20.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 steals per game.

College Career Highlights

At Saint Joseph's University, Delonte West was part of a highly-rated backcourt. He played alongside John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Award winner Jameer Nelson. In his junior year, West averaged 18.9 points and 6.7 assists per game. He was also a good shooter, making 41% of his three-point shots.

His strong play helped the 2003–04 Saint Joseph's Hawks achieve an amazing 27–0 record in the regular season. They also made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Saint Joseph's finished that season with an impressive 30–2 record.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing for the Boston Celtics (2004–2007)

After his junior year, West decided to leave college and enter the NBA draft. The Boston Celtics picked him as the 24th player in the 2004 NBA draft. In his first season, he dealt with injuries and played in only 39 games, mostly coming off the bench. He averaged 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

After learning the point guard position in his first year, West became the starting point guard for the 2005–06 season. This decision was made by head coach Doc Rivers. In that season, West averaged 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. On February 12, 2006, he was chosen to represent the Celtics in the Rookie Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend. He replaced his college teammate Jameer Nelson, who was injured.

Time with the Seattle SuperSonics (2007–2008)

After six seasons with the Celtics, Delonte West was traded on June 27, 2009. He went to the Seattle SuperSonics along with Wally Maze and the 5th pick in the 2007 NBA draft (Jeff Green (basketball)). In return, the Celtics received Ray Allen and Glen Davis.

Joining the Cleveland Cavaliers (2008–2010)

West with the Cavaliers in 2009

On February 21, 2008, West was part of a big three-team trade. He, along with Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, and Wally Szczerbiak, joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. This trade brought him back together with his Saint Joseph's teammate Dwayne Jones.

As a Cavalier, West played in 26 regular season games, starting all of them. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. He scored a season-high 20 points against the Boston Celtics and had a season-high 11 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers. For the whole season, West played in 61 games and averaged 8.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds.

On April 27, 2008, West made a very important three-pointer in a playoff game against the Washington Wizards. With only 5.4 seconds left, his shot broke a tie and gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a 3–1 lead in the first round series.

2008–09 Season with the Cavaliers

On September 12, 2008, West signed a new three-year contract with the Cavaliers. He moved to the starting shooting guard position because the team had acquired Mo Williams.

West became a key starter for the Cavaliers. The team had an amazing season, winning a league-best and franchise-record 66 games. They were also very strong at home, with a 39–2 record. Besides being the starting shooting guard, he also played as the backup point guard when Mo Williams was resting. He became known as a talented defensive player in the backcourt. He could guard many different types of players. Offensively, he was a good outside shooter, making 46% of his shots and 40% of his three-pointers. He was also known for his athletic and strong drives to the basket. West, Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Anderson Varejão formed a strong group of supporting players for team star LeBron James.

On March 2, 2009, against the Miami Heat, West set a career high with eight steals.

In the playoffs, West's scoring increased to almost 14 points per game. He played a lot of minutes, averaging 42 minutes per game throughout the postseason. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic, he played over 45 minutes per game. He was also given the tough job of guarding Hedo Türkoğlu, who was seven inches taller than him. West scored a new career playoff high of 22 points in Game 6 against the Magic, but the Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs.

2009–10 Season with the Cavaliers

During the 2009–10 season, Delonte West averaged 8.8 points in 25 minutes per game. He started only three games for the Cavaliers. In the 2010 NBA Playoffs, the Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the Conference Semifinals. West averaged 6.7 points in those playoffs.

Return to the Celtics (2010–2011)

After LeBron James left the Cavaliers, West was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Sebastian Telfair. In return, the Cavaliers received Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins, and a future draft pick. The Timberwolves released West shortly after getting him.

On September 1, 2010, the Boston Celtics signed West to a one-year contract. He joined the team to be a backup point guard for Rajon Rondo. For the 2010–11 season, West averaged 5.6 points, 0.8 steals, and 2.7 assists per game. He also shot very well from the free throw line, making 86.7% of his shots.

Playing for the Dallas Mavericks (2011–2012)

West signed with the Dallas Mavericks on December 13, 2011. During the 2011–12 season, he averaged 9.6 points per game. He signed again with the Mavericks on July 26, 2012.

Texas Legends (2013)

On January 25, 2013, West joined the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League. On March 16, 2013, West played his first game for the Legends. He scored 10 points in an 85–103 loss to the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Playing in China (2013–2014)

In October 2013, West signed a one-year deal to play for Fujian Xunxing in China. In July 2014, West played for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2014 NBA Summer League. In September 2014, West signed another one-year deal to play in China, this time with the Shanghai Sharks. However, he was released by the team on November 18 after playing only four games. He had a strong debut game on November 1, scoring 29 points.

Return to the Texas Legends (2015)

On January 12, 2015, West signed with Guaros de Lara in Venezuela, but he left the team before playing a game. On March 12, 2015, West rejoined the Texas Legends. He played for them that night against the Delaware 87ers. In 19 minutes, he scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in a close 122–119 loss. On April 2, he was released by the Legends after getting an injury that ended his season.

Personal Life and Challenges

Delonte West has faced various challenges in his life. He has worked to support his family, buying homes for his parents and helping other relatives financially. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he even looked for jobs at places like Home Depot and worked at a furniture store.

West was married to Caressa Madden in 2013, and they have two children. They later divorced in 2020.

In recent years, Delonte West has been seen in public facing difficulties. In September 2020, after photos of him in a tough situation spread online, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, reached out to help him. Cuban provided support and a place to stay. In January 2021, there were reports that West had found a job at a facility where he had been staying and had reconnected with his mother. However, in July 2022, new videos showed him in difficult circumstances again.

Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

College Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2001–02	Saint Joseph's	31	2	17.0	.469	.118	.667	3.0	1.2	.8	.1	5.9
2002–03	Saint Joseph's	26	22	30.2	.474	.374	.814	4.3	3.2	1.6	.2	17.3
2003–04	Saint Joseph's	32	32	33.5	.510	.412	.892	5.4	4.7	1.7	.2	18.9
Career		89	56	26.8	.489	.377	.831	4.2	3.0	1.4	.2	13.9

NBA Statistics

Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2004–05	Boston	39	7	13.0	.426	.358	.704	1.7	1.4	.5	.2	4.3
2005–06	Boston	71	71	34.1	.487	.385	.851	4.1	4.6	1.2	.6	11.8
2006–07	Boston	69	47	32.2	.427	.365	.853	3.0	4.4	1.1	.5	12.2
2007–08	Seattle	35	5	20.8	.388	.339	.667	2.7	3.2	.9	.3	6.8
2007–08	Cleveland	26	26	31.0	.440	.367	.788	3.7	4.5	1.1	.7	10.3
2008–09	Cleveland	64	64	33.6	.457	.399	.833	3.2	3.5	1.5	.2	11.7
2009–10	Cleveland	60	3	25.0	.445	.325	.810	2.8	3.3	.9	.5	8.8
2010–11	Boston	24	2	18.9	.458	.364	.867	1.5	2.7	.8	.4	5.6
2011–12	Dallas	44	33	24.1	.461	.355	.886	2.3	3.2	1.3	.3	9.6
Career		432	258	27.4	.448	.372	.826	2.9	3.6	1.1	.4	9.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2005	Boston	7	3	16.4	.524	.455	.500	1.3	.6	1.0	.1	4.1
2008	Cleveland	13	13	34.8	.400	.429	.854	3.3	4.2	1.2	.5	10.8
2009	Cleveland	14	14	42.2	.465	.333	.833	3.5	4.1	1.4	.5	13.8
2010	Cleveland	11	0	24.5	.418	.158	.938	1.9	2.6	.8	.3	6.7
2011	Boston	9	0	18.9	.468	.368	.800	1.9	1.3	.6	.0	6.6
2012	Dallas	4	3	22.0	.423	.500	1.000	1.8	2.0	.8	.0	7.5
Career		58	33	29.0	.442	.361	.847	2.5	2.8	1.0	.3	9.1

Images for kids

West with the Celtics in 2011
West with the Cavaliers in 2009