For longtime NBA fans, seeing Delonte West smiling, talking hoops and knocking down jumpers again hits a little differently. The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard recently linked with streamer N3on for a livestream that quickly became about much more than content. It gave West a chance to tell some of his story himself while showing viewers a much more encouraging side of where he is today.
Before his life became defined publicly by his struggles, West was a legitimate NBA player. Boston selected the Saint Joseph’s product with the 24th pick of the 2004 NBA Draft, beginning an eight-season career that included stops with the Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. He played 432 regular-season games, averaged 9.7 points and 3.6 assists and became especially familiar to fans during his years playing alongside LeBron James in Cleveland.
What happened after basketball has unfortunately received almost as much attention. West dealt with substance abuse, homelessness and other personal struggles, while people throughout the NBA community repeatedly tried to help him regain some stability. In 2020, then-Mavericks owner Mark Cuban personally picked West up at a Dallas gas station, helped reconnect him with his mother and helped get him into a Florida rehabilitation facility. Months later, West was reportedly working at the same treatment center where he had received help.
There have been setbacks since then, but West has once again been working toward rebuilding his life. Earlier in 2026, he publicly celebrated reaching 100 days of sobriety, and during their recent linkup, N3on told viewers that West had been living in sober housing and was on a much better path. Rather than treating West’s situation like a punchline, the streamer used much of their time together to give the former NBA guard another possible avenue forward.
And N3on didn’t just hand him a camera and tell him to start streaming. He gave West a new iPhone, microphones, a tripod, portable charging equipment and other gear while also having a verified and monetized Kick account created in West’s name. That means if West decides to pursue streaming, he already has a platform where he can tell his own stories, interact with basketball fans and potentially make money doing it. The two also found time to get on a basketball court, where West provided perhaps the best reminder of who he was before everything went sideways. At 43 years old and years removed from professional basketball, that left-handed jumper was still looking pretty smooth.
But between the hoops, jokes and gifts were several moments that showed why the stream connected with so many people. West talked openly about his past, revealed which people from his NBA days continued checking on him and received a few surprises from N3on along the way. Here are some of the biggest moments you may have missed from N3on and Delonte West’s stream.