Delonte West Says LeBron Recruited Him During A Game

Delonte West says LeBron James was recruiting before anyone was calling it roster construction.

West, speaking on the ODEE ENTV YouTube channel, recalled a moment from his Seattle SuperSonics stint when James approached him during a game against Cleveland. West said the conversation happened at the foul line during the first month of the season, while he felt he was playing well against the Cavaliers.

"We were playing Cleveland, out in Seattle, the first month of the season, and I was cooking them," West said. He remembered James bringing up Saint Joseph's and a past trip to the Palestra before shifting the conversation toward Cleveland.

Then came the line West did not expect. According to West, James asked, "Man, you want to come play with Cleveland?" West said he first thought James was using a veteran trick to get him out of rhythm by creating familiarity in the middle of the game.

"But he was serious," West said. "He asked me to come play with Cleveland."

The story has landed because the timeline later matched the idea. West was traded to the Cavaliers in February 2008 as part of a three-team, 11-player deadline deal. He immediately became part of the rotation and started all 26 regular-season games he played for Cleveland after the trade.

The next season became one of West's strongest NBA runs. He averaged a career-high 11.7 points, started 64 games and played a regular role on a Cavaliers team that finished 66-16. West spent parts of three seasons with Cleveland and appeared in 35 playoff games for the franchise.

There is no official confirmation that James caused the move. The clean fact is West's recollection: LeBron asked, West thought it was gamesmanship, and the Cavaliers later traded for him. Still, the story fits the long-running picture of James as a star who understood personnel earlier than most players were expected to.