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Dion Waiters recently opened up on his struggles with depression, shedding light on issues that contributed to his exit from the NBA. As fans may remember, Waiters had become a key role player off the bench around the league.
Before Waiter's exit following the 2019-20 season, he spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, OKC Thunder and Miami Heat. After playing just 10 games in his final year, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies from the LA Lakers before being subsequently waived.
Now, the former No. 4 pick is looking to make his return to the league. As he recently explained in an interview with Chris B. Haynes, there was more going on behind the scenes than he let on.
While fans knew Dion Waiters as an efficient scorer with gritty defense, what they didn't know was that he struggled with his mental health.
"I want the world to know, especially in our community, that it's OK to have a therapist, man," Waiters said. "There's nothing wrong with it. People who are very successful might not have many problems, they even have a therapist. We all need it. And you know how I came up in Philly with all the trauma I've been through.
"The shootings, the killings and all that. My story is dark. I feel like, if I had a therapist, my career would've been 10 times better. Plus, I feel so much better because I'm not holding anything in. You can exhale."
Dion Waiters' struggles in the league, and the depression behind it
With Dion Waiters eager to make a return to the league, he wants to set the record straight about some of the issues that contributed to his colorful past. In Miami, he was suspended not once, not twice, but three times.
The first incident came after he voiced his concerns and frustrations with his role on the team on social media. The outburst earned him his first suspension, but it wouldn't be his last.
Less than a month later, Waiters' most infamous incident took place, when he had a panic attack on a team plane. The situation was ultimately blamed on marijuana edibles; however, that was viewed as an explanation, not an excuse. Not long after the incident on the team plane, Waiters claimed he was ill before then going out to party it up for his birthday instead of being with the team.
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After departing the NBA, he went through a dark period that made him realize something had to change.
“I just wasn't having fun," Waiters said. "I had thoughts of not being around, but I've got kids. I'd rather be miserable for the rest of my life than to leave my kids without a father. I didn't want to be around anyone, and everybody was still asking for s--t. I'm a one-man army as far as finances go. I'm the backbone. S--t was dark.
"Some days, I'd sleep in the bed all day. I had nothing to look forward to. I wasn't working out. It's a mental battle.”
While it's unclear whether Waiters will end up back in the league after holding a private workout for teams, what is clear is that he's on the right path. With his mental health in check, and his mind set on making a return, the future looks bright for Dion Waiters.
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