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In the world of professional athletics, whether it's the NBA or the NFL, there is a common theme of "rags to riches." Many of the biggest names in sports have found a way to fight through early adversity in life, as well as growing up in troubled areas, to become household names on the national stage. Unfortunately, the opposite can also become true.

The apt example of this is Delonte West. Once a first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft, the point guard spent eight seasons in the league. He played for the Celtics, as well as the Seattle Supersonics, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Dallas Mavericks. Now, however, he is residing in Dallas and has fallen upon hard times. NBA fans have recently spotted West on the streets of Dallas, and it appears that he is homeless.

I know social media is a powerful tool. If you grew up a Dallas Mavs fan, or even a NBA fan , you know who Delonte West is. Seeing him on the streets/freeways of Dallas is very disheartening. Please help him out @swish41 @dallasmavs @markcuban @NBA @jasonterry31 please retweet pic.twitter.com/C8OzyGOH9Z — Big A ™ (@renzel65) September 5, 2019

For those fans and residents of Dallas, it's very jarring to see West on the street considering that he once accounted for more than 4,000 points and appeared in more than 400 games. West also earned more than $16 million in his career, per reports.

Unfortunately, there were some other issues that occurred with West. The guard once applied for a job at Home Depot in 2011, and he was also spotted barefoot and wearing a hospital robe near a Jack In The Box in Houston.

Delonte West an NBA millionaires to now homeless 😕 pic.twitter.com/QmkR03Ygki — Basketballfosho (@basketballfosho) August 26, 2019

Since leaving the NBA in 2012, West has spent time with both the D-League and in China. However, he was waived by the Texas Legends in early 2015 and disappeared from the public eye. Now, he has returned in a way that many did not expect.

The fall from the ranks of the wealthy was very hard on the former Mavericks guard, but NBA fans want to get him any help they possibly can. Trying to contact Mark Cuban on Twitter is one bold strategy, but they are hoping that the gambit ultimately pays off. NBA fans don't want to see anyone fall on hard times, let alone someone that once shined for multiple teams.