Dion Waiters has already navigated the worst part of a turbulent 2019-20 season after some shocking ill-taken decisions during his time with the Miami Heat. An incident with edibles during a team flight was just part of the end of Waiters' time in South Beach before he ultimately got a chance for redemption with the Los Angeles Lakers, only to see that potentially not happen because of the NBA hiatus.
The veteran shooting guard opened up about what took place in Miami, noting he was going through dark times during that stretch:
“The plane incident in Miami? It’s on me. I own that,” wrote Waiters in a piece for The Players' Tribune. “It was idiotic on my behalf — point-blank, period. What’s crazy is, my whole life I been a leader. I’m not a follower. Pat knows me. He knows I don’t do drugs. But sometimes when you’re going through dark times, you can fall trap to things you’d never do in your right mind.
The Lakers guard had grown to be an unhappy customer in Miami after he was no longer the starting shooting guard following a slew of injuries and poor performances. His reactions were unacceptable and often gave the Heat their share of headaches, even after trading away another malcontent in Hassan Whiteside this past summer.
Waiters had been dealing with depression, which played a large part in his multiple suspensions and team fines this year:
“Even the hardest motherf***ers in the world go through depression, man,” said a vulnerable Waiters. “No cap. You know, I think sometimes the world needs to be reminded that we’re not superheroes. I came from the bottom. I seen it all. But when I go home at night, I’m just like you. I go through depression, just like you. I go through anxiety, just like you. This last year and a half, I done been through it.”
Waiters also acknowledged his unhappiness it leaked that he had a seizure on the team plane. He denies that actually happened.
The hope now is that Waiters has gotten the help to have his emotions under control and allow him to enjoy a better spell with a championship contender like the Lakers, if the season ever starts up again.
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