By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a quite revealing interview, former Euroleague superstar and current Atlanta Hawks player Malcolm Delaney, described how he lived the worst moments in his life, hours after experiencing the happiest.
It was then, that after fulfilling his lifelong dream of signing a contract with in the NBA, Malcolm saw his older brother, Vincent Delaney getting shot five times in a drive-by incident. “It was the worst night of my life”, said the American combo guard to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
His brother survived the whole ordeal and is currently recovering. “It’s just not fun because I know he can’t enjoy the things I’m enjoying. Until he can share the experience with me, I won’t really be happy. I’m going to work hard for him,” said Malcolm.
The Hawks guard had invited members of his family and friends in Washington D.C. to celebrate his deal with the his new team. But a night of partying turned into a nightmare when his own brother was shot while sitting right next to him in a Sprinter van.
“I signed and he enjoyed it for one day. When he came to, he didn’t even remember that I signed with the Hawks. For me, he didn’t get to enjoy this time and I never really got to enjoy it. People ask me all the time how it feels to be in the NBA. I still don’t feel it. They don’t understand why. That’s the reason why.”
It all began when they left a night club and one of his friends “Euro-stepped” around another man. Since only some words were exchanged, everyone thought that the incident was nothing serious.
All, except Malcolm’s brother.
“It was like he sensed something. Because of the argument, he kept saying, ‘If something happened to my brother, I don’t know what I would do.’ He just kept saying it. His wife was like ‘Chill, nothing is going to happen.’ And then …”
A car stopped near the van that carried Delaney, his family members and his friends. Someone opened fire and the bullets struck Vincent Delaney. He was the only one getting hit. Twice in the back, twice in the shoulder and once in a finger.
Malcolm who was sitting right beside him said that he felt the darkest when their parents came to the hospital and brought his nephew, Vincent’s son. The young boy had strength enough to pat everyone in the room and give them comfort in these horrible moments.