Being a professional athlete is not an easy task; you are dealing with tremendous pressures and must remain composed in front of millions of spectators, which can lead to mental struggles. Awareness of this issue has significantly increased in recent years, largely due to the painful story of Delonte West.
West was born on July 26, 1983, in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the capital of the United States. His father was a basketball player with mental health disorders, while his mother was Native American, which gave him a different appearance from his peers and led to social problems from a young age.
At the age of 13 he experimented with alcohol and drugs
His parents divorced when he was young, and the only thing that gave West strength was basketball. At the age of 12, he broke his leg, which prevented him from playing basketball for several months. The absence of basketball in his life led to emotional distress and self-destructive behavior.
His mother thought that spending time with his father would improve his mood, but his father, who struggled with mental health issues himself, only exacerbated the situation. West started hanging out with a delinquent crowd and, by the age of 13, experimented with alcohol and drugs.
Delonte West was diagnosed with manic depressive disorder
When he recovered from the injury he returned to play and managed to rehabilitate, the good times continued in college where he led his team to a 30-2 record in the regular season.
He was selected in the NBA Draft in 2004 by one of the world's major teams, the Boston Celtics, but failed to impress there. In 2008, he was traded to LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers, but quickly clashed with the team's players.
