Delonte West was reportedly arrested in Virginia after police found him unconscious and intoxicated, saying the move was made for the ex-NBA player’s own protection
Ex-NBA player Delonte West was arrested again in Virginia in a troubling incident that police say was done “for his own safety.”
Representatives from the Fairfax County Police Department told Mirror U.S. Sports that law enforcement responded to a call around November 2nd, just after 8 p.m., about an unconscious man near Fair Haven Avenue and Richmond Highway. The incident follows a long string of legal issues with the former guard, who once scored 31 points in a head-to-head matchup against Kevin Garnett’s Minnesota Timberwolves.
The FCPD confirmed that West was conscious and alert when first approached by the police. When emergency crews arrived, they found the man breathing and later identified him as the former NBA starting guard. TMZ also reported that, according to local authorities, West refused medical transport but was “so intoxicated” that officers arrested him “for his own safety.”
The FCPD verified to Mirror U.S. Sports that West was charged with being intoxicated in public in Public and Obstruction of Justice. His court date is scheduled for April 6, 2026.
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He was subsequently released on bond, per TMZ.
Nearly a year ago, West was arrested by the same department for trespassing on a property from which he had been previously banned. That followed a string of arrests over the past decade tied to public intoxication, resisting arrest, and violation of release conditions.
West’s history of arrests includes a 2009 weapons charge in Washington, D.C., when police found three loaded firearms in his vehicle, including a shotgun inside a guitar case. He was sentenced to eight months of court supervision.
Following multiple public intoxication incidents in Virginia and Florida between 2020 and 2022, West’s 2024 arrest in Groveton allegedly involved him requiring two doses of Narcan for a suspected overdose. The mugshot showed the NBA star looking entirely different from his playing days.
Police reported that West tried to escape while being served a warrant for violating his release conditions. West later garnered public backing from several notable NBA figures, especially Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
Cuban personally assisted him in entering rehab in 2020 after a viral video showed West being attacked on a D.C.-area street. Although Cuban initially thought West was making progress, he couldn’t fully help the NBA guard get his life back on track.
The once-reliable two-way guard in the league played eight NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 9.7 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds over 432 career games, shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three-point range.
His prime years were in the mid-2000s with the Celtics and Cavaliers, when he gained recognition for his tough defense, consistent midrange shooting, and intense chemistry with LeBron James.
West last played professional basketball in 2015 with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League.
He was waived that same year after suffering a season-ending injury in April, marking the unofficial end of his playing career.