Delonte West facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Delonte West

West with the Boston Celtics in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1983-07-26) July 26, 1983 (age 41) Washington, D.C., U.S.
High school	Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Maryland)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 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 several teams. These included the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He also played professionally in China and for the Texas Legends in the NBA G League. Before becoming a pro, West played college basketball at Saint Joseph's University.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Delonte West grew up in Greenbelt, Maryland. He attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School. There, he became a star basketball player. He played alongside Eddie Basden, who also became an NBA player.

West helped lead the Roosevelt Raiders to their first state tournament. They reached the Maryland 4A championship game. In that game, Delonte scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. He was named 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 at Saint Joseph's

At Saint Joseph's University, West was part of a highly-rated backcourt. He played with Jameer Nelson, who won major college player awards. As a junior, West averaged 18.9 points and 6.7 assists per game. He shot 41% from three-point range.

His excellent play helped the Saint Joseph's Hawks have an amazing season. They went 27–0 in the regular season. They also reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Saint Joseph's finished that season with a 30–2 record.

Professional Basketball Career

Boston Celtics (2004–2007)

After his junior year, West decided to enter the NBA draft. The Boston Celtics picked him as the 24th player in the 2004 NBA draft. In his first season, he faced some injuries. He 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 playing as a point guard in his first year, West became the starting point guard for the 2005–06 season. He averaged 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. In February 2006, he was chosen to play in the Rookie Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend.

In the 2006–07 season, West moved to the shooting guard position. He later returned to point guard. He made some important shots, including a game-winning shot against the Charlotte Bobcats. He also hit a game-tying three-pointer against the New Jersey Nets. The next day, he scored a career-high 31 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He scored all 31 points in the second half and two overtimes.

Seattle Supersonics (2007–2008)

After three seasons with the Celtics, West was traded. On June 27, 2007, he went to the Seattle SuperSonics. This trade was part of a deal that sent Ray Allen to Boston.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2008–2010)

West with the Cavaliers in 2009

Joining the Cavaliers (2007–08 season)

On February 21, 2008, West was part of a big three-team trade. He joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was reunited with his college teammate Dwayne Jones there.

As a Cavalier, West played in 26 regular season games. He started 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. He also had a season-high 11 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers. For the whole season, West played in 61 games and averaged 8.3 points.

In the playoffs, West made a crucial three-pointer. This shot came with 5.4 seconds left in a game against the Washington Wizards. It helped the Cavaliers take a 3–1 lead in the series.

Becoming a Starter (2008–09 season)

On September 12, 2008, West signed a new contract with the Cavaliers. He became the starting shooting guard for the team. This was because the Cavaliers acquired Mo Williams.

He was a key player for the Cavaliers, who won a league-best 66 games. They also had an amazing 39–2 record at home. Besides starting at shooting guard, he also played as a backup point guard. He became a strong defensive player. He could guard many different types of players. Offensively, he was a good outside shooter. He shot 46% from the field and 40% on three-pointers.

On March 2, 2009, West set a career high with eight steals against the Miami Heat. In the playoffs, West's scoring increased to nearly 14 points per game. He played a lot of minutes, averaging 42 minutes per game. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he played over 45 minutes per game. He also defended Hedo Türkoğlu, who was much taller than him. West scored a new career playoff high of 22 points in Game 6.

Final Season with Cavaliers (2009–10 season)

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. West averaged 6.7 points in the playoffs.

Return to Celtics (2010–2011)

After LeBron James left the Cavaliers, West was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the Timberwolves soon released him.

On September 1, 2010, the Boston Celtics signed West again. He joined them on a one-year contract. He was meant to be a backup point guard for Rajon Rondo. West was suspended for the first ten games of the 2010–11 season. For that season, he averaged 5.6 points, 0.8 steals, and 2.7 assists per game.

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 with the Mavericks again on July 26, 2012. West was suspended by the Mavericks in October 2012. He was later released by the team.

Texas Legends (2013)

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

Playing in China (2013–2014)

In October 2013, West signed a one-year deal with Fujian Xunxing in China. In July 2014, he played for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2014 NBA Summer League. In September 2014, West signed with the Shanghai Sharks, another Chinese team. However, he was released after only four games.

Return to 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, the Texas Legends brought West back. He played that night against the Delaware 87ers. He scored 10 points and had six rebounds. On April 2, he was released by the Legends due to an injury.

Personal Life and Challenges

Delonte West has described his childhood as "happy-poor." He lived with different relatives growing up. He is multiracial, with African American, Piscataway Native American, and White American heritage.

West has faced some health challenges. He was diagnosed with a mental health condition in 2008. He has also experienced financial difficulties. During an NBA lockout, he even applied for a job at Home Depot and worked at a furniture store.

West married Caressa Madden in 2013, and they have two children.

In recent years, West has faced public struggles. In 2020, after photos showed him in a difficult situation, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, reached out to help him. West received support and even got a job at a rehabilitation facility. However, he has continued to face challenges.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Delonte West para niños

• List of people banned or suspended by the NBA