Vincent Delaney couldn’t sleep last night.
There was too much excitement before the first chance to see his brother Malcolm play an NBA game in person.
The Hawks visited Washington, D.C. in November. However Vincent was still recovering from an act of violence that has left him paralyzed. He couldn’t make the short trip from his hometown of Baltimore to see Malcolm live out his basketball dream.
He can now.
“He is excited,” Malcolm said before the Hawks played the Wizards Wednesday night. “He is good. He is rehabbing at home every day and getting stronger, working on his upper-body strength. Mentally, everything is good. He’s positive. He hasn’t complained about much.”
Malcolm signed a contract with the Hawks on July 15 in Los Angeles and returned home to Baltimore the next day to celebrate with family and friends. He rented a van and driver for a night out in Washington, D.C. He purposely stayed away from his home city due to recent civil unrest.
However as the group was leaving a nightclub, a car pulled up alongside the van and opened fire. Of the 13 people inside — 12 passengers and a driver — only one was struck by a bullet. Seated in the middle seat, Vincent, 31, was struck twice in the back, twice in the shoulder and once in a finger that would require amputation. Malcolm called it the "worst night of my life."
That night took left more than Vincent unable to walk. It also left Malcolm without an older brother would have been a near-constant confidant and companion during his first NBA season.
“The year still hasn’t been the same because he has always been my biggest supporter,” Malcolm said. “Him not being about to be around has been kind of tough. Definitely excited for him to come and watch the game.
“He was supposed to move to Atlanta. He was always the one who would call me after a game and talk about different stuff, he and my father. He’s been watching every game. He even stays up late. Being able to get here physically is good for him.”
Malcolm says Vincent now has a handicapped-equipped van that allows him to get around. Malcolm didn’t see his family when the team arrived in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday so he could concentrate on practice. Their parents will also be in attendance.
There will be a reunion following the meaningful game.
Delaney has appeared in 66 of the Hawks’ 70 games this season. He missed just four games while the team played newly acquired Jose Calderon. He has averaged 5.4 points, 2.6 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 17.3 minutes.
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