ORLANDO -- It's hard to tell what's going on in the head these days of Delonte West. But FanHouse wanted to give Cleveland's mercurial guard an opportunity to explain some of his recent doings.
West, who is bipolar and is facing six weapons charges from a Sept. 17 incident in Maryland in which police say he was carrying on a three-wheeled motorcycle three loaded guns and an 8 ½-inch bowie knife, was asked after Wednesday's shootaround how he is progressing after having two leaves of absence during training camp to attend to personal matters. West ended up not playing in the first three games of the season.
"One plus one is two and C always comes out to A and B,'' West said to FanHouse.
Delonte West has returned to the court for the Cavaliers after two separate leave of absences, but the fallout of his recent arrest in Maryland has just begun. West was formally indicted on eight charges Tuesday, including six related to concealed weapons.
West was arrested on Sept. 17 in Maryland after allegedly cutting off a police car on the Beltway while riding his three-wheeled motorcycle, at which point officers soon discovered he had a fully-loaded 9mm Beretta handgun tucked in his waistband, a fully-loaded Ruger .357 Magnum strapped to his waist and a fully-loaded shotgun in a guitar case strapped to his back.
During today's indictment, it was also revealed that West was carrying an 8 1/2-inch Bowie knife as well as 112 additional shotgun shells in another backpack strapped to his vehicle.
After being arrested recently on a gun charge that raised more than a few eyebrows, Delonte West was all smiles at the Cavaliers' media day on Monday. He seemed ready to put the incident behind him, telling reporters, "I'm back taking my meds and everything," and that he was focused on basketball.
Unfortunately, the newly-found focus didn't last very long, as West didn't show up to the Cavs' first day of training camp practice.
And according to Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer, the absence was unexcused.
Delonte West has a whole new set of reasons you should get him his donuts.
The Washington Post reports that West was arrested Thursday night after being stopped on his three-wheeled motorcycle. He cut off a police officer and after being stopped, informed the arresting officer he had a gun in his waistband. After backup arrived, police actually found three weapons on his person. A second weapon was strapped to his leg, and another was in a guitar case strapped to his back.
We've all been there. The drive-thru order isn't ready, and won't be for several minutes. We're told to "go park over there," and someone will bring it right out to us.
Most of us mutter a few swear words, and sit sullenly in our vehicle while impatiently waiting for the unhealthy (but satiating) payoff. But not Delonte West.
No, Delonte's apparently got nothin' but time on his hands, so he's more than happy to wait 18 minutes for his KFC order to arrive. And lucky for us, he decided to pass the time with a friend by busting a freestyle in the front seat of his car, while a video camera mounted on the dashboard caught all the action.
The clip includes some NSFW language, and can be seen after the jump.
In our inaugural edition of the NBA Twitter mailbag, we've got some interesting topics to get us started. How will Shaq's ego fit in Cleveland? Is Kevin Durant getting the attention he deserves? And what's left on the Celtics' summer to-do list?
We turned the 10-minute cooling off period after the Magic-Cavaliers Eastern Conference finals into a 10-hour cooling off period. But there was some mulling to be done.
Which is what the Cavs will be doing all offseason, by the way.
As the NBA Universe tries to adjust to the fact that the team with the best record in the league with the best player in the league faces a 2-1 deficit that would be 3-0 were it not for The Shot Part 11,000, there are some interesting ideas being thrown around as to how the world will right itself, so to speak.
The common reaction is to look to the Cavaliers and ask, "What can they do to get back in this thing?" But instead of attempting to decipher ways to counter the Magic's matchup advantages, or rotation adjustments, or defensive gambles, instead you hear a lot of "Cleveland's shooters have to start making shots."
As if Orlando has had nothing to say about the Cavs' struggles. Just so you're aware, it's not the Fates that have ordained this slump for the No. 1 seed. It's the same principle that got the Cavs that lofty record. Defense.
For all of the Cavaliers' success this year -- both posting the league's best record and winning their first eight games of the playoffs -- the Magic have actually held their own in head-to-head matchups, winning two of three games in the regular season and seven of 10 the last three years.
Much like your 401k, though, past results do not guarantee future performance, but at least the Magic won't come into this series questioning whether they have what it takes to win a single game against the vaunted Cavs, which was exactly the situation the dysfunctional Pistons and the injury-depleted Hawks faced in the first and second rounds, respectively.
ATLANTA -- Some comparisons will last forever: Ginger or Mary Ann, Coke or Pepsi, Hertz or Avis, Rowan or Martin, Wrigley or Fenway.
LeBron or Michael.
How about LeBron AND Michael? And, no, this doesn't refer to the esteemed Mr. James and Mr. Jordan as players, especially since they reached that solar system beyond the basketball elite in different ways.