President Obama hosted the 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks at the White House Monday, January 9th. One of the newest additions to the Mavericks roster was not in attendance, however. Point Guard Delonte West was denied clearance to visit the White House during a routine security background check.

West was barred from visiting with the President due to his criminal record, stemming from the 2009 incident when was arrested for transporting 3 loaded weapons. Police discovered the weapons (2 handguns and a shotgun) during a traffic stop in which his motorcycle was pulled over in Maryland. It’s usually not a best practice for professional athletes to carry loaded weapons. It didn’t seem to work out too well for Plaxico Burress, Gilbert Arenas, or Delonte.

West tried to make light of his situation by jokingly stating “That’s what happens when you make bad decisions in your life. You can’t go to the White House.”

It might be time for Delonte to start taking his off the court issues seriously. Whether he likes it or not, he is a public figure, and making jokes about catching a weapons charge is not setting a good example for the kids out there who look up to athletes like him. It’s not surprising that Delonte is on his third NBA team in 3 years.