This Photo Of Delonte West Holding A Sign Begging For Money At An Intersection Is Heartbreaking

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Ever since the video of Delonte West being assaulted in the middle of the street hit the internet in January, I type his name into Google probably once a month hoping to see some encouraging headlines: Delonte West Is Back And Healthier Than Ever or NBA Vows To Get Delonte West The Help He Desperately Needs.

Eight months since, nothing.

My fears have been confirmed, as a Twitter user posted a photo of the former NBA guard holding up a sign on an intersection in north Dallas begging for money.

https://twitter.com/CallTcooks/status/1308507946175864832?s=20

Back in January, after several people in the basketball world expressed concern over the 37-year-old West,  Shams Charania of The Athletic wrote a piece detailing why it’s been so hard to administer him help.

From West’s former teammates and coaches to team officials, all have run into the same issue over and over with him. A trip for him to seek help is scheduled and booked, West agrees upon it, and then he cancels. “He has to want to be helped,” said one person directly involved in setting him up with assistance. One of his former teams, according to a person, tried “too many times to count.”

The photo of West was posted just one day after Colby Covington, aka Discount Conor McGregor, took a random cheap shot at him after defeating Tyron Woodley.

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Matt’s love of writing was born during a sixth grade assembly when it was announced that his essay titled “Why Drugs Are Bad” had taken first prize in D.A.R.E.’s grade-wide contest. The anti-drug people gave him a $50 savings bond for his brave contribution to crime-fighting, and upon the bond’s maturity 10 years later, he used it to buy his very first bag of marijuana.