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“That kind of been my issue was self-loathing, it never was (being) bipolar,” West said. “I wasn’t considered bipolar before my Desperado (carrying guns on a motorcycle) incident as people like to describe it. From them on, a failed marriage after two months, lost some contracts and endorsements, and the center of everybody’s jokes. And the best player in the world (LeBron James), allegedly (I) had sex with his mother. Growing up in the hood, that’s the worst thing you could say is something about somebody’s mother. That would get you punched in the face. That hits home.”
West has steadfastly denied those rumors but said it is something he has been presented with constantly.
“You have ignorance, people yell across the Walmart, ‘Yeah how did that go (with LeBron’s mother)?’ I gotta deal with that,” he said. “So there was some self loathing, licking my wounds, shying away from the laughter. It seemed like everything I did was being attached to some type of bipolarism or being crazy. That all stimulated from an incident that happened for years ago, so it seemed like that’s the root of it, that’s making me the crazy person or bipolar person and I’m trying to break away from the stigma of it.”
Delonte is one of those former Celtics who continues to hold a place in people’s hearts around here. He’s a scrappy player who will give you everything he has on the floor every minute he’s out there.
The problem with Delonte is that he comes with more baggage than most teams are willing to deal with. And while he plays hard for you, he’s not going to be much more for you than the second or third guy off the bench. For someone with a clean slate, that can lead to a nice, comfortable life. For someone with known issues like Delonte, it can get a little sketchy.
Personally, I like Delonte. I’m empathetic to his plight in life and dealing with that stigma of being bipolar. But it’s also hard to fault NBA General Managers who don’t want to see him poking someone in the ear while wearing their colors.
Bottom line with Delonte is that he’s in a bind that is somewhat unfair… but only somewhat. He can’t help the injuries or the stupid Gloria James rumor. He could help, however, the gun incident, and taking two months to report to his D League team this past season.
Delonte is 30 years old. He’s always been in really good shape, so another four or five years of productive basketball shouldn’t be too much to ask of his body. If he’s going to do it in the NBA, though, both he, and some General Manager somewhere, are going to have to put some things aside to make it happen.
I don’t see a fit for Delonte West on the Celtics, but I am rooting for him to figure this all out and get back into the NBA to finish out his career.
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