Delonte West, once a hopeful guard at Saint Joseph’s, had an eight-year NBA career before his life after basketball was marked by public difficulties. The candid insights he shared about LeBron James and Michael Jordan reveal unexpected aspects of competitive psychology.
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In an interview on the Derrick J Trapten YouTube channel, former NBA guard Delonte West recalled LeBron James inviting him to join the Cavaliers during a Cleveland-Seattle game early in the 2007-08 season. West said James told him he had followed his college career at Saint Joseph’s and asked whether he wanted to play in Cleveland.
According to West’s account, “We were playing Cleveland out in Seattle, the first month of the season, and I was cooking him. James was like, ‘Man, I followed you in college. You remember that time I came to Philly at the Palestra to watch you play?’ He was like, ‘Man, you want to come play with Cleveland?’
“He was serious. He asked me to, believe that, man, he asked me to come play with him during the game. So they traded me. They did a trade during the trade deadline to go to Cleveland.”
On February 21, 2008, the Cavs made a three-team deal with the participation of Seattle and Chicago, sending Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons, Ira Newble, and Donyell Marshall. In return, Cleveland got West and Wally Szczerbiak from Seattle, and Ben Wallace and Joe Smith from Chicago.
West made comparisons of James’ style with what he was used to from other top players. In the same interview, West explained how Michael Jordan used psychological tricks in the field of competition
“You’re a rookie, and then you’re off for three nights straight,” West explained. “Then Jordan pulls the veteran trick. He says, ‘What’s up, young fella?’ He says your whole name. Then he got 40 points in the first five minutes.”
The difference West pointed out shows differing competitive mindsets of generational talents. Jordan’s strategy focused on psychological manipulation, while James seemed genuinely invested in roster construction. This distinction influenced how teams were built and players were sought after.
The front office of the Cavaliers was responsible for the move that led to bringing West to the Cavaliers at the trade deadline in 2008. It became a significant factor in defining the future of the franchise. The backcourt duo of West and James was a crucial element in the success of the Cavaliers’ era when they posted back-to-back 60-win seasons in 2009 and 2010.
In a certain period, he had scored 61.4 percent against the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 18 points per game. The ability of West to score at critical times made him a solid option during crunch time alongside James’s dominance.
However, the connection between James and West didn’t end with the two men’s stint with the Cavaliers. In an appearance during the Kick streamer N3on’s stream in August 2026, West talked about how he is receiving help from his old buddy James and James’ family.
“He called my mom all the time, made sure I’m okay,” West said, describing how James actively monitored his well-being despite their divergent post-NBA trajectories.
The transition of West from being the most dominant player at Saint Joseph’s University, where he averaged 18.9 points a game along with his teammate Jameer Nelson, to an NBA player and later encountering public struggles showcases the hidden reality of basketball.
Currently making his way through life on the Kick channel that he runs on his own, thanks to N3on for supplying him with streaming technology, West claims that he is progressing steadily while residing in West Palm Beach, Florida.
