There are no best practices or guides for dealing with an athlete with a diagnosed mental illness.
The Cavaliers have been patient with Delonte West. Every decision regarding their talented but troubled guard is made with caution because, although they dealt with West last year, the situation is an unfinished puzzle of doctors, coaches, front-office execs and counselors. There is no rulebook for how to proceed, and greater sensitivity is needed with a player who is sick and not simply acting out, sitting out or misbehaving for contractual or professional reasons.
The organization and the league aren’t the only ones in uncharted waters. The media that regularly cover the team are in a similar position. How do you couch analysis or report information when the affliction is mental, not physical? The brain, not a knee? With little to report other than West’s whereabouts and official status with the team, reporters are left with judgment calls that journalism school didn’t cover.
Take an incident that happened October 6, before the Cavs squared off against the Bobcats in a preseason matchup.
Reporters were in the locker room waiting to talk to LeBron. According to multiple sources who were in the room, a reporter said hello to West, and West responded angrily with expletives. West had dressed for the game and warmed up with teammates earlier in the day, but after the outburst, he did not join the Cavs on the floor for the game and shortly thereafter took an excused absence from the team.
After the outburst, the 10 or so reporters present discussed what had occurred and agreed not to write about it, and to date nothing has been reported by local dailies or TV or radio stations.
George Thomas’ Akron Beacon Journal game story included only this line: “Troubled Cavs guard Delonte West was in the locker room prior to game time, but didn’t play.”
Brian Windhorst’s story in the Plain Dealer said only, “The Cavs planned to play West and he warmed up and was in the locker room before the game. However, it was determined he wasn’t quite ready and was a late scratch. West declined to speak to the media before the game. Anthony Parker started at shooting guard. West is going to be away from the team for a few days to handle personal business, and the absence is excused.”
The Associated Press story by Tom Withers stated, “Cavaliers guard Delonte West, battling mental sickness and legal troubles, had been expected to play 15 to 20 minutes but didn’t leave Cleveland’s locker room. He warmed up 90 minutes before tip-off and sat in his cubicle before the game, but never joined his teammates on the bench.”
AOL’s Fanhouse reported this much: “West, who hasn’t talked to reporters since the team’s media day Sept. 28, got testy before the game when reporters attempted to interview him and wouldn’t comment.” Examiner.com’s Matt Loede blogged about rumors of an incident between West and the media.
StepienRules.com, a Cavaliers blog, went the furthest. Glenn Moore wrote: “According to sources, media covering the game were in the Cavaliers locker room. As players were getting ready for the game, one unnamed national [Associated Press] writer said hello to West. West allegedly replied with an expletive. West was then pulled from the room by players and coaches. This incident led to West being pulled from playing and being excused from practice the next day. West has yet to return to practice and the Cavaliers are saying he still needs more time and space.”
But Moore later deleted the post and hasn’t explained why. Off the record, sources say the team claimed it was inaccurate. But two people who were in the room during the incident confirmed Moore’s account for Scene.
Scene sought comment from reporters who witnessed the exchange, but none would not comment on the record about specifics. More than a couple responded with “leave me out of this”-type comments. Privately, some who cover the team admitted that they did not agree with the decision to squelch the information. The phrases “delicate situation” and “unchartered territory” came up a lot.
“In my seven years on the Cavs beat, this has probably been the most complicated story to cover after Carlos Boozer’s leaving in free agency,” says Windhorst, speaking broadly. “Last year, partially out of respect for [West’s] battle and because he was so open with us when he returned to training camp, the media protected him to a certain degree. I have never been close to someone who is bipolar, but I read a lot about it and I talked to many professionals about it in trying to understand what Delonte goes through on a daily basis. Because of that, I’m inclined to give him some space even when it goes against journalistic instincts.
“Last season, I was certainly aware that Delonte was shaky at times, though it never seemed to show on the floor, and that made it easier to leave alone. Sometimes I would slip some references to it into a blog because I felt a responsibility to the fans, and the stakes of the season were so high. I wrestled with how to handle it, trying to show respect and compassion for Delonte and struggling with reporting on an issue that could become a problem when all the chips were on the table. It is not black and white, and just like with how the team handles him, there’s no handbook on handling an athlete who is battling these problems.”
Fair enough. But sensitivity isn’t the only factor. It’s not simply a magnanimous gesture no matter how often writers speak of “respect for the situation.” One reporter, speaking anonymously, says, “I have to continue working with this team going forward.” Write about an off-the-court incident that the team would rather keep quiet, and maybe it affects your access to bigger stories — free agency decisions, trade deadline, etc. It’s a common dilemma in beat reporting.
An athlete lashing out at a reporter is hardly unique, and who’s to say West wasn’t just having a really bad day? But, as one reporter told me, it’s not like what happened that night is a “state secret,” and in other cities it would have been the lead item.
On the other hand, there’s a plethora of extenuating circumstances if you’re looking for them. We know now that his marriage is troubled, as evidenced by the abuse report filed by his wife. He’s dealing with serious legal issues stemming from his arrest on gun charges. And multiple reporters described the outburst as “out of character.”
But the locker room incident precipitated West’s excused departure from the team and his absence in the lineup that evening. Was it an isolated incident or evidence of a larger, systemic problem? And doesn’t that outburst sound similar to the one Delonte had with a ref during a preseason game in 2008 that also was shortly followed by a leave of absence?
See? It’s messy. There’s a temptation, I think, to ascribe cause to effect when cause and effect are murky.
Akron Beacon Journal columnist Patrick McManamon, who wasn’t present at the time of the incident, says, “I’m not in the business for sensational stories. There are outlets for those stories, and that’s fine. But it’s not for me. Especially when someone is confronting some issues like Delonte is, which are related to mental health. I take that very seriously, because it is a serious medical situation. If the mental health issues affect the public, then it’s news. His arrest is an example. That was news because he was arrested and charged, and he was arrested carrying some serious weapons. If it affects the team, it’s also news insofar as it relates to whether he can play or not play, or if he’s with the team or not.
“Because it’s a mental illness, I also feel a very strong burden of fact and proof — it’s too easy to write and guess at his state, but without knowing his frame and state of mind from him or from someone dealing with him, i.e. the coach or GM or his doctor, I’m not inclined to guess beyond what we know. Especially since it’s related to his mental well-being. In a case like this — or with any player — if the team or Delonte want to sit down, on the record, and go through things, I’m all for writing the story. But I don’t think it’s fair to him, me or (more important) the reader to just guess on his specific situation and well-being without actual knowledge and information.”
After Delonte’s absence from training camp last year, he came back strong. But after his arrest on gun charges, the PD’s Windhorst wrote about other incidents and made it clear that West’s state of mind was difficult to assess.
“West then went out and had the best season of his career, his first as a full-time starter. He was a significant factor in the Cavs winning 66 games. But behind the scenes, there was never a doubt that he was often battling with his emotional problems.
“Some games West would sit in his uniform at his locker for an hour after the game staring into space. Sometimes he would refuse to talk to anyone. Other times he would be his jovial self, cracking up the locker room and fitting into the team’s pregame ‘family photos.’ He filmed several segments for the ESPN show Jim Rome Is Burning, showcasing his dry sense of humor that made him a YouTube hit.
“But he also often came to games late, even showing up to a home playoff game an hour before tipoff. Once, at a game in Los Angeles, West wasn’t on the bench when he was introduced as a starter, and no one on the team seemed to know where he was for a few minutes.
“Those episodes, however, never seemed to affect his play. Trying to be supportive, the team apparently gave him plenty of space. The media, appreciative of how open he’d been and sensitive to his battle, looked the other way.
“It was the same this summer when another YouTube video appeared of West and a friend waiting for their food to be cooked in a KFC drive-thru. Making jokes and freestyle rapping, West was quite funny. But numerous people left comments that it wasn’t funny because it appeared he was under the influence of something.”
Details like West “staring into space” present problems. Not every episode of silence — or joviality — is evidence of a disorder, but can start to look that way when West’s emotional state is the subject, especially when taking a retrospective look at a series of incidents. Otherwise, Windhorst’s piece put Delonte’s struggles throughout the year into perspective and illustrates the difficulties writers face when dealing with West’s actions. That struggle will undoubtedly continue through what could be the most important year in the Cavs’ history. There is no rule book for such situations, so the Cavs and the reporters who cover them better start writing one.
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2009.
Great work, Vince. Delote’s mental health is something that will be very interesting in the days, weeks and months to come.
It appears the fans are trying to give West support, but that only goes so far.
Outstanding piece Vince. I think it’s interesting to see the way that many of the writers have approached this situation, and for the most part I think they’re getting it right. When the ‘incident’ at the airport turned out to be a domestic dispute with his wife, I was rather angry with WOIO for trying to pump up page hits by writing a lede and then not updating it for more than 8 hours.
It’s a very difficult situation for everybody involved and I think that we as fans should accept the fact that he’s got very complex issues and those need to be resolved or at least curtailed to an extent before we worry about his performance with the team.
a great article dealing with not only the journalistic aspect, but also how difficult and complex a disorder bipolar can be not only for the person suffering, but those around him. while i know that everyone in cleveland is hungry for playoffs let alone a championship, he needs support not just as a cavalier but as a person who is dealing with a disorder difficult to control.
nobody left albert belle alone
So are you the only one to describe the incident and break the agreement?
Everyone in the Cleveland media left Albert Belle alone as long as he was hitting. It wasn’t until he had problems with Hannah Storm that the national writers like Buster Olney began telling their stories about Belle’s anger issues. This is much different in that reporters seem to genuinely like and care about Delonte and hope for stability for the man. They know that he is not an angry person at heart. Albert Belle, on the other hand, routinely went out of his way to bully and intimidate. It was amazing that we were unaware of his issues for as long as we were.
There is ZERO difference between West’s situation and Belle’s situation. And let’s be 100% candid here. Much of this pussyfooting around West has everything to do with the walking on eggs LeBron situation.
100% of this West stuff should have been reported, but INTENTIONALLY wasn’t. Evidently, even the Cavs’ front office goons got involved and told a blogger to censor the truth. THAT is outrageous.
The Northeast Ohio press is a joke. They run scared. They’re intimidated by the sports franchises’ front offices. No guts whatsoever.
Look, I’m not saying they should be mean or unfair, but news is news. You can’t just pick and choose your stories. Otherwise, you become a cheerleader. And that’s what the Northeast Ohio media is. A cheerleader. A puppet by proxy. It’s a disgrace.
This was the feel good piece of the year!
Some interesting tidbits here, I had openly wondered why Windy wasn’t forthright in sharing some of details that have since been divulged about West around the playoffs. Now we know.
I have an uneasy feeling about his entire status with this team at this point. Fans selfishly want him on the court b/c of what they want; a title. All the while masking their desires as “what’s good for Delonte.” If his bipolar disorder is at such extreme levels that he’s capable of carrying the artillery that he had the night of his arrest, then I don’t want him anywhere near the Q. He should not be playing basketball right now. I can’t believe the league and the Cavaliers would allow someone who obviously has bigger things on their plate to be representing their league and team/city.
Bitmatt, it seems that you don’t understand what DD was saying. Belle and West are comparable in they were/are important cogs to good Cleveland teams. But even when Belle was good, nobody really liked him. Most reporters do indeed like Delonte. When he’s on an upswing, he’s a likable and funny guy. That’s where a lot of this comes from, not the front office trying to quiet things. You have no idea if the Cavs tried censoring that blog post. There’s no proof to that at all.
Most of these reporters are aware Delonte has some bad problems, and they’re trying to be delicate about it. Belle did not have these problems other than an out of control temper.
My bad, I mean to direct my reply to alan t, it was bitmatt who made the original belle/west comment.
Which is a major problem, Jimbo, and I have absolutely no idea why you don’t recognize it. It is TOTALLY irrelevant that some reporters like West, and some reporters didn’t like Belle. Who cares? Since when is the reporting of the news supposed to be based upon who finishes first in the Miss Congeniality portion of the competition?
They’re both mentally ill thugs. Just one happens to usually come off more friendly than the other. The Cavaliers (with their iffy roster) need a role player like West, and nobody in their right mind thought that a hitting monster like Belle would ever re-up when his Indians contract expired, anyway.
And the Cavaliers’ Sopranos-like thuggery of forcing somebody to censor their blog is all you need to know of what is really happening here. The local writers are terrified to report the truth. They’re spineless.
West tells the AP’s local guy Tom Withers to do who knows what to himself, and nobody has the guts to write the real reason West wasn’t playing? How jounalistically limp is that?
This West thing is a prime example of Cleveland partisan cheerleading “sports reporting” at its very worst. It’s spineless and a disgrace. Everybody is afraid to lose access. Everybody is afraid to be blackballed. No guts whatsoever.
Which is a major problem, Jimbo, and I have absolutely no idea why you don’t recognize it. It is TOTALLY irrelevant that some reporters like West, and some reporters didn’t like Belle. Who cares? Since when is the reporting of the news supposed to be based upon who finishes first in the Miss Congeniality portion of the competition?
They’re both mentally ill thugs. Just one happens to usually come off more friendly than the other. The Cavaliers (with their iffy roster) need a role player like West, and nobody in their right mind thought that a hitting monster like Belle would ever re-up when his Indians contract expired, anyway.
And the Cavaliers’ Sopranos-like thuggery of forcing somebody to censor their blog is all you need to know of what is really happening here. Local writers who cover the Cavaliers are terrified they will be blackballed and lose access if they report the truth.
Sorry for the duplicate post or whatever happened here, the Scene’s site suddenly went kaput, haywire and then down. I didn’t know what made it up here as a post or not.
In ‘the business for sensational stories’, or just like a good outing now & then?
Bioolar Disorder in professional sports is nothing new. I think I was one of the first diagnosed in 1997 while playing w/ the Ravens. Even though many of you might not understand the illness, the pressure of living up to expectations in pro sports is rampant. As it should be. We get paid a lot of money to play(as many of you might think)the game we love. However, once BP takes over, the anxiety can quickly spin out of control. Delonte needs all of your support. For more insight on Bipolar Disorder, follow my blog at http://bpwellness.blogspot.com
Love the Caves, their organization and their overall potential.
Delonte is a valuable piece to the team on the floor and full support is in order, however, now learning of this outburst, is their reason to be concerned for the teams health?
More than one individual has acted out their anger with guns and taking lives…
Journalists are Humans, not robots. Every journalist likes a subject who will talk to them, give them interesting quotes, etc, and make their job easier. Furthermore, this is sports. These guys are largely buffoons just trying make a buck following the games they love. So Delonte, who’s been well liked everywhere he’s gone (he wasn’t called out for any of this stuff in Boston, either) is given a little more space. Whereas Albert, who by most accounts was a prick even when he wasn’t raging, didn’t get as many free passes. Belle threw baseballs at reporters and chased kids in his car. We don’t know that Delonte’s hurt or attacked anyone. He was carrying guns, yeah, but we don’t know why. His wife filed a domestic violence report, I don’t know much more that’s come out of that. I don’t condone violence (the gun charge I couldn’t care less about) but when put into the context of this serious condition, it puts it in a different context. This isn’t some ornery human who has occasional fits of rage. This is a likable fellow by all counts with a serious mental condition. To say there is no difference between Belle and West is absurd.
Thanks for the very well-considered article. I’ve followed Delonte since his Celtics days — a friend and I used to argue over whether he, Big Al Jefferson, or Tony Allen (yes, Tony Allen) would have the better NBA career — and he’s always been one of my favorite players. It’s been tough to watch him deal with this, and I’m glad the folks in the media have been generally so respectful in their analysis.
What some of the more insensitive of you are neglecting to realize is that the media cannot contribute to the demise of Delonte West, by reporting about that of which they do not know. Each media outlet has a responsibility to get it right, lest they slander. It would also be tragic if they were unknowingly the trigger for a much more serious incident. Just because fans want to know is not reason enough for writers to speculate on the mental health of Delonte West. Envision a scenario in which the media outlets were liable for pushing someone over the edge. In today’s society, it could potentially change reporting methods or endanger them and then the “rulebook” would be written for them by judges.
Delonte West’s mental health is much more important than the reader’s need to know. Especially given the fact that the media admittedly has never dealt with a situation quite like this. Imagine a scenario where inaccurate comments or reports actually contribute to Delonte West’s issues or serve a s a trigger for a much more serious incident. The media is not given a free ticket for irresponsible reporting or a lack of liability in what they report. All writers should feel a sense of responsibilty (if not sensitivity) when reporting on Delonte West. Anything less, and judges may very well be writing the “rulebook” on how to deal with such matters. I don’t think reporters want to go there.
Oh, give it a rest, ThunderCav. The media is going to “serve as a trigger for a much more serious incident?” Yes, I blame Pete Vecsey for sending that goof who shot John Lennon over the edge.
News is news. And please, cut the garbage about there being no difference between West and Albert Belle. So choose a more congenial nut if you don’t want to use Belle as an example.
Journalists are supposed to completely distance their own personal feelings in their reporting. It’s irrelevant if West is loved, if Belle was hated, or if West is hated, and Belle was loved. News is news. It wasn’t wild gossip, it was legitimate news. It was covered up by the local media. The local blogger who had the balls to report it obviously was threatened by the Cavaliers’ goons, and that’s why it magically disappeared. It all stinks to high heaven.
The subject of this article, though well penned, presents a fairly creative approach to a fishing expedition, as well as an imbalance among varying interests. But hold your linens, there’s a great story: West’s life, to date emphatically offers much more than a rags to riches scenario, and this situation is, therefore deserving of patient, careful, sensitive consideration. At what time was Belle, who by the way refused to play any game other than the one of his choice, diagnosed with a bipolar affliction? Regardless, he’s content in the desert-calling here from time to time. The balance between the public figure, the public’s right to know, and the myriad of medical considerations surrounding a diversely, significantly talented athlete must, not only be thoroughly researched but acquired & maintained. This is certainly uncharted territory. People who are bipolar, outwardly functional, do not experience life as may those who are not bipolar. Hyper and/or hypo sensitivity, multiple, exacerbating conditions…there is much to consider. This is not to suggest that the reactions of those who are not bipolar to someone who is and displays an inability to function consistently well, otherwise conforming successfully are wrong. Rather it calls for more than tolerance and “space,” — greater understanding. Treatment for this condition is experimental in many cases. Delonte, like everyone suffering with bipolar disease, will do well out of harms way, with bonafide help in managing his life. It’s tough enough for seemingly “normal” athletes of his age & stature. With the right kind of help he can become the best story the Cavs will ever tell. Imagine that.
Oh, come on. West comes out and says he has “bipolar disease.” How many other people in America would be diagnosed with a mental illness if somebody bothered to diagnose them? I mean, I would assume most professional football players and boxers would be diagnosed with some sort of mental illness, too, don’t you think? The entire idea of the job is to kill somebody. Wanting to kill somebody is “normal?”
This “give him space” stuff is crap. Report the news. That’s what reporters are paid to do. Report the news. They were intending to play him. He was dressed in uniform. He was told he was going to play. Then he went nuts at a reporter. And because of that, he didn’t play. That’s not reportable news? Since when?
Leave the social work to the social workers. Reporters are supposed to report. And why isn’t anybody outraged by the Cavaliers’ goons threatening a blogger simply because it serves the Cavaliers’ own interests? Not West’s interests, the Cavaliers’ interests. THAT is reprehensible. Corporate goons threatening a blogger for simply reporting events as they happened.
Teetering between lashing out at the slightest real or imagined provocation and staring absently off into space may suggest a bipolar personality, however the effect marijuana can have on a person has been known to be similar. Marijuana use can exacerbate existing mental illness, making a relatively minor problem like social anxiety seem much more severe. The brights lights of NBA stardom would probably do that too. He’s also at the age of onset for mental illness.
Not coincidentally, vocamel, the guy was also arrested with pot last summer. A fact the ridiculous apologists conveniently never mention. What, purportedly being bipolar makes you break laws and violate NBA rules by smoking pot, too? What a self-serving farce this entire West thing is.
alan t. you are an angry little man. Get a life. Most football players are mentally ill??? Just how bad was your childhood??? Don’t worry about Delonte West or anyone else. Try working on yourself. Envy and frustration will kill you in time. Let it go.