(AllHipHop News) One of Delonte West’s former teammates has admitted the former NBA star’s teammates saw signs of mental instability long before his shocking fall from grace.
Earl Watson was a guest on Tamron Hall’s show earlier this week and he weighed in on the shocking video of West being attacked on a California freeway.
According to reports, Delonte admitted he was bi-polar in 2015, was once a star player for the Detroit Pistons. Now, the 38-year-old is homeless and addicted to drugs.
“The NBA is a lot different than the NFL – our locker room is 12 people so you intimately get to know each other as you practice, as you travel, as you go through emotional exchanges in the game…it’s a lot of time to spend together…so we saw the signs. ” Earl Watson said.
Watson admitted he and his teammates saw signs of instability in Delonte West back then, but no one really did anything about it.
“If you played physically hurt you obviously played mentally hurt and that’s the conversation we need to have,” Watson said.
Every team & teammate Delonte has ever had failed him! I admit I was one of them because we all knew! Therapy, mental health or life coaching, however you phrase it, is ok & acceptable! Let’s show our strength by owning our weaknesses. Mental health is a community issue! All in!
— Earl J Watson (@Earl_Watson) January 21, 2020
Earl Watson also added that players need a “safe place” they can turn to express their mental struggles without ruining their bottom line.
“How can players go into a safe place to express their mental challenges not to a coach, not to a GM because that impacts your contract and your playing time but a safe place where it’s neutral where you can get the resources you need,” Earl Watson added.
