NBA
NBA champion Dion Waiters gets honest about his past and wants comeback after missing out for three seasons
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All posts by Antonio KozlowUpdated13 Jul 2023
Once a first-round draft pick back in 2012, Dion Waiters has had a tough ride. The former NBA champion has been out of the league for the past three season, but he’s been working hard as he desires to be given one more chance for a comeback. The player recently had an interview with the press and revealed he’s been holding private workouts in Las Vegas.
According to the press, many scouts and executives have witnessed Waiters in training, and are considering him for the upcoming campaign.
Waiters, who is now 31, last played in the Los Angeles Lakers championship team back in 2020, as he was given a short seven-game opportunity that season. Today, he believes he’s got what it takes to compete once again in the NBA.
Dion Waiters speaks on depression and personal growth following NBA exit
The 31-year-old is attempting a comeback after a three-year hiatus
(via B/R's @ChrisBHaynes) pic.twitter.com/vywNtlPX0N
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 12, 2023
“I’m healthy. I just want that opportunity just to show I’m not who I once was,” he assured. “And I know a lot of people talk about that. But, for me, I think it’s more about showing that I’ve changed. That’s why I’m here, man. I still got that love. I still got that itch.”
The veteran athlete strongly believes that he’s good enough to contribute to any NBA team both on the court or even from the bench.
“I know I can still help a team win at the highest level on the court and even in the locker room as a veteran presence. So, why not just give it a go and just see what happens? You never know,” he said.
Throughout his 10-year NBA career, Waiters has averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. It all started back when the Cleveland Cavaliers chose him with the No. 4 overall pick, and eventually represented teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Miami Heat and the Lakers.
His most complicated season came wearing the Heat jersey in the 2019/20 campaign, as he was suspended many times in that tournament. Deemed as a trouble maker, he was then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, who saw no future in him and quickly waived him.
Waiters feels a lot of shame every time he’s reminded of his behavior during his time playing for Miami
Even though he was eventually picked up by championship-winning Lakers in his last season, the 31-year-old deeply regrets his last days playing for the South Beach franchise.
“I was so irresponsible and immature,” he recalled. “I let the Heat down. They were good to me. I did not handle it well at all.
“The things that were going on were avoidable if I had just shut the hell up and let my agent handle a lot of that stuff. And if I did that, we wouldn’t even be here today. I’d still be playing. Everything happens for a reason. I looked myself in the mirror already, bro. I read my rights. I read my wrongs. And now I just got to keep pushing, moving forward and living with the results.”
The athlete admitted he had suffered with anxiety in recent years and opened up about his struggles with depression during his time away from the basketball courts. “When I stopped playing, anxiety kicked in,” Waiters said. “I constantly worried about what was next.”
