Delonte West was administered the potentially life-saving drug, Narcan, before being put in handcuffs and arrested earlier this week, TMZ Sports has learned.
We broke the story ... the 42-year-old former NBA player was taken into custody in Fairfax County, Virginia, on Monday, after the local police department received a call for a man who was found unconscious and not breathing.

Our sources tell us that when cops and EMS arrived, West was breathing .