Delonte West wants another shot at the NBA
By Mike Dyce
Delonte West was waived by the Dallas Mavericks in October of 2012 after a disupte with head coach Rick Carlisle. He hasn’t played in the NBA since and the closest he came was a stint in the Development League. West has said that he is even willing to accept a non-guaranteed deal just to try and get into camp and get a shot at making the roster.
“I know my game is going to speak for itself and who I am as a person,” said West, via the Boston Globe. “I just need to get somewhere. If it’s guaranteed, nonguaranteed, it doesn’t matter. Teams will know what I’m about and what I bring to the court. I am going to be guaranteed, anyway. Teams haven’t seen me in a year, but that’s only helped me, not hurt me.”
That time away hasn’t been a detriment either, it’s been a blessing according to West.
“This, in a way, has been the biggest blessing of my life,” he said. “This has given me time to grow. I’m just looking for answers, and all of the things I have been searching for, as a man, not as an athlete, to complete me. In that time period I met my wife and have had a beautiful son, and it’s like everything is falling in place.”
“Back in December or January, I stopped trying to trust in man and fight these battles by myself. I just handed the keys to the man upstairs and let him drive. It’s been the biggest blessing of my life. I have so much to be grateful for, thankful for, and I have a lot to play for now.”
He credits fatherhood for changing him.
“I feel completed as a person and as a man, and all I need is an opportunity and I don’t think any team is going to regret it,” he said.
Apparently West has packed on some weight and is tipping the scales at 200 pounds.
“I am putting in the work every day, and whatever team picks me up, guaranteed or nonguaranteed, they’re going to get a top-tier player,” he said. “I spent time just licking my wounds, trying to shy away from the laughter [about me]. My game is not of league minimum, but that’s OK, though. It’s not about the money. I’m trying to break free from that stigma but it’s hanging over my head. I decided that I ain’t worried about the laughter. I’m not giving nobody no more ammunition to laugh at me. No more self-loathing. I’m here to play basketball and show people who Delonte West is.”