Delonte West doesn’t deserve to suffer like this

The first time I met Delonte West was his sophomore year at Saint Joseph’s University when he and Jameer Nelson were emerging as the best backcourt in the country. They were a great duo. While Jameer was cool, Delonte ran hot. Nelson ran the show, but West could turn a game on a dime with his lockdown defense and shooting.

The 2004 Hawks were simply the most fun college basketball team I have ever encountered. They beat everyone they played, from the Palestra in Philly to Oracle in Oakland and made Billy Packer eat crow after coming within inches of a trip to the Final Four. West turned pro after that Tournament run and was a first round pick with the Celtics.

I later got to know West in 2010 when he was on his second tour with the Celtics. By then it was known that West had been diagnosed as bipolar. (A diagnosis he has disputed at times.) He was one of the few athletes to talk about his mental health, and the word around the league was that he was “difficult.” The NBA in the late 2000s was not exactly an enlightened place and West’s tenure in the league was problematic.

He had been dumped by the Cavs and sentenced to eight months of home electronic monitoring after pleading guilty to weapons charges. But Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers had a soft spot for West, as did many of his teammates and the people who covered him. I wouldn’t say we were close, but we talked a few times about his life and it was hard not to like Delonte.

West ran into tough times after leaving the Celtics. There was a short tenure with the Mavericks that ended badly, and he later spent a few years playing overseas hoping to get back into the league. West more or less disappeared from public memory after his career ended, but a disturbing video was posted on social media earlier this week that showed him being kicked and punched on a Maryland highway.

West had reportedly been in an earlier altercation at a nearby casino with the other man and neither pressed charges. A second video showing West in handcuffs was recorded by a police officer, who has since been suspended for releasing the video.

A lot of people would like to help West and fortunately he has some of the best on his side, like Nelson and Phil Martelli, his former coach at Saint Joseph’s. As Shams Charaina from the Athletic reported, the NBPA has also offered support, as has Dallas owner Mark Cuban and Celtics president Danny Ainge.

There aren’t many more supportive environments in sports than the Philadelphia basketball community. West can also look to the Celtics, who have a well-deserved reputation for looking after their alumni. Additionally, the NBA and the NBPA worked out an agreement to offer medical benefits for retired players, making it the first pro sports league to do so as part of their collective bargaining agreement. One can only hope that West avails himself of those resources and is able to find some peace in his life.

There are a lot more people who suffer from mental health issues who don’t have access to those resources and they need help, as well. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, as many as 2.8 percent of the population in the United States suffers from bipolar disorder and 83 percent of those cases involved severe impairment.

There are ways you can help. First, listen to your friends and family who are dealing with mental health issues. Give them love and support and encourage them to find professional medical help. This can be daunting, especially if they lack adequate health insurance. Don’t give up.

Start with groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness that provide services and can offer advice on finding a healthcare professional. Sites like Psychology Today can also help you find a therapist in your area. If someone is suicidal or in emotional distress, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Finally, take a look around your community. There are likely to be dozens of organizations and nonprofits that can use support either financially or with volunteers. Delonte West doesn’t deserve to suffer like this. No one does. You can help be part of the solution.