Valentine’s Day Lessons in Love From Delonte West

By Chris Mottram
Two years ago today, Sonics guard Delonte West gave one of the most incredible, hilarious and honest interviews I’ve ever read from an athlete to ESPN’s Page 2. Whether you’ve seen it before or not, Valentine’s Day will always serve as the perfect excuse to recapture the magic of that candid piece.
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Let’s take a look at the highlights and maybe you can learn a thing or two for tonight’s romancing (most important parts to keep in mind are in bold):
-- “I would send her a card [at work] giving her instructions for the night. Send it to her about midday, so the rest of the day, she has time to think about exactly what I had planned. ... I would tell her, she would have to wear white. She must have on a white dress, because I’m going to have on white. I’d have told her in the note, she has to wear her hair a certain way, just the way I like it.” (Hopefully you already did this, unless you’re west coast, in which case it’s not too late.)
-- “I’d have the music pumping on the radio. The Jim Jones pumping, you know, ‘Summer in Miami’ song pumping. Got to keep a little gangsta, you can’t be too soft. You can’t be in there playing some guy that’s crying, talking about don’t leave me and love me baby, wah wah and all that.”
-- “We’re going to my yacht. ... Pop some bottles, some Moet Rose. The red Moet, we ain’t popping no Kristal, it tastes like urination. ... We ain’t doing a $500 bottle, we’re doing a $99 wine.”
-- “So from there, we’re doing a midnight skinny-dipping jump. Alright? From there, hopefully she’s got money because I hope Jaws gets her, boom, make sure she got me in the will, bank, I’m good. Oh well, shark got her! Jaws got her.”
-- “There’s been couples that have fell out on Valentine’s Day because the guy has forgot or didn’t do anything special. ... I think Valentine’s Day is just a day for candy makers and card makers to make some more money. I think you should be romantic on your own time.” (Note: He has a point, but if you get her nothing, you will be one of the couples that “fell out.”)
-- “We’re going to have some Popeyes chicken. That’s for dinner. ... That’s just getting it on her mind, saying, you know, ‘Yeah, I can wine and dine you, but I’m a little rough around the edges and I’m keeping it real with you. I can be romantic, but this is real, we’re going to eat some chicken tonight. Chicken and biscuits.’”
> Flowers, Popeye’s and Romance | ESPN Page 2↵