Delonte West Lands A Surprising New Gig After Panhandling Video

The former NBA player is getting back on his feet.

It’s been a hard few years for Delonte West, the 38-year-old former NBA player. Back in 2020, West entered rehab after struggling with addiction. At first, it seemed like he might have been staging a comeback after the stint. But earlier this year, West was spotted panhandling in Alexandria, Virginia, sparking an outcry of concern from fans and former colleagues.

According to TMZ, West has received a helping hand. When employers at the Beyer Subaru car dealership in Alexandria heard about West’s struggles, they decided to give him a job.

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Delonte West

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Apparently, the dealership is currently getting their floor renovated, and so they asked the company on the job if they could get West involved. TMZ reports that the flooring company was happy to get an extra worker, and now West has been with the team for the past two days.

Before landing the new gig, Delonte had responded to the viral video of him panhandling. “It is what it is,” he told TMZ. “I got children. I’m in between jobs. People can help me as much as they can, but you know, as a man I gotta do what I gotta do for my babies.” He also detailed his experience trying out for the Big 3 and not making the cut, saying, “I was excited to have the opportunity. I’ll be there next season. I’ll be there rooting guys on.”

Delonte played for a few teams during his NBA career, including the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has routinely gotten involved when Delonte has faced hardships, at one point saying that “it’s still an uphill battle, but he is climbing.”

[via]