NBA: Dion Waiters Recalls Heat Collapse, Reveals Real Reason He's Out of League

Dion Waiters - Miami Heat v Charlotte Hornets
(Photo : Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - Dion Waiters (#11) of the Miami Heat brings the ball up the court against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on October 09, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

Dion Waiters came into the NBA regarded as a bucket-getter who could score points at will.

His golden moment was when he and Tim Hardaway Jr. had a showdown during the 2014 Rising Stars Game.

Now he is out of the NBA at 31 years old.

Waiters is confident he is not with any team because he is not playable. He believes it is because of his attitude, which started during his time with the Miami Heat.

Read more: Lakers Coachh Darvin Ham Has Bold Message to Teams That Passed on Him

The 6'3 guard believes that his Heat stint was when he was at his peak, but he wasted it by not letting his agent take over his off-court issues.

"I was so irresponsible and immature," he said in an interview with the Bleacher Report.

"I let the Heat down. They were good to me. I did not handle it well at all."

The Heat organization suspended Waiters in at least three instances, all happening in just one year.

Attitude over talent 

Waiters said in the same interview that all along, he has been suffering from depression, and he used the times he could not get to the NBA to improve himself.

For him, he is talented enough to be in any NBA team, but that is not the lone weapon one needs to stay in the league. His story is what he considers a testament to that.

He had to explain to his son why he was not playing.

"I told him, 'Bro, your dad is not [out of] the league because of talent. It was my attitude, my character, and not understanding that it's bigger than me," he said.

"I feel like I had to go through this so I could explain that to my son, and that's the dead truth."

Right now, Waiters is working his way back to the NBA. The interview with B/R was staged moments after his private workout at Victoria Fertitta Middle School in front of NBA scouts and executives.

He said having to play in a junior high school to reach the NBA again is a humbling experience.

Related article: Paul Pierce Gets 100% Real if Heat's Jimmy Butler Is a Hall of Famer

© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Real Time Analytics