Delonte West is on the road to sobriety ... but it ain't easy.
Sources tell TMZ Sports the former NBA player is currently in the detox phase of his treatment -- which is known to be extremely difficult for people trying to clean themselves up.
As we previously reported, West entered a treatment facility last week with some help from his mother and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
We're told detox is Phase 1 -- the process of removing all traces of drugs and alcohol from Delonte's system.