Dion Waiters opens up about enduring three suspensions: ‘I take full responsibility.’
As Heat coach Erik Spoelstra finished his post-practice session with the media Sunday, he looked to his right at once-disgruntled guard Dion Waiters.
“Waiters Island is waiting for you,” Spoelstra said to reporters with a smile, as the Heat prepares for a home back-to-back set that begins Monday against the Magic.
Waiters sat on a stool waiting to speak to the South Florida media for the first time since the preseason. For the first time since serving three team-issued suspensions over the first two months of the season. For the first time since finally making his season debut in the Heat’s 45th game.
“At the end of the day, I’m a grown man,” Waiters said in his first public comments to the local media since enduring three suspensions this season. “I don’t point fingers. I could easily say this or that, but at the end of the day, it’s me. I made certain decisions, so I take full responsibility for them.”
In Friday’s loss to the Clippers, Waiters finally got his chance to play his first minutes of the season. With guards Goran Dragic (left calf soreness) and Kendrick Nunn (left Achilles soreness) unavailable, Spoelstra turned to Waiters to fill the void.
Waiters, 28, entered the game with 1:38 remaining in the first quarter to a loud standing ovation from the home crowd. He ended the game with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 shooting on threes, four rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes off the bench.
Waiters’ best minutes of the night came in the fourth quarter, when he scored eight points on 3-of-7 shooting and blocked two Lou Williams shots on a crucial possession with less than a minute to play. He was the driving force behind the Heat’s late 14-5 run that cut the Clippers’ lead to three with 13.5 seconds to play.
“That’s what I missed the most,” Waiters said. “That excitement, hitting those big shots, just the crowd. I think that’s what I missed the most, that crowd erupting and just having those type of moments.”
Even after Spoelstra FaceTimed Waiters on Friday to tell him he would be playing against the Clippers, the Philadelphia native still didn’t let himself get too excited.
“I really didn’t process it right away. I didn’t really take it in,” Waiters said. “I didn’t tell nobody I was playing. I called my mom and I told my girl. I wasn’t that happy until it happened. Going into it, I didn’t know how long or anything like that. He asked me if I was was ready. I just grinned and I just said, ‘Yeah.’ That’s just how it went.”
Before Waiters’ season debut, there was doubt surrounding his NBA future. Former NBA executive Bobby Marks wrote for ESPN in December: “One thing that every team agreed upon: Waiters’ career is likely over, barring an incredibly unlikely turnaround.”
There’s still uncertainty regarding Waiters’ future with the Heat because he could find himself out of the rotation again when Dragic and Nunn return. But Friday was a step in the right direction in the middle of what has been a turbulent season for Waiters.
“At the end of the day, I’m not going to lie to you, my kids, my family — my support system is so strong, man,” Waiters said when asked how he remained positive through it all. “I have a lot of good people in my life and you find that out when you go through those times. That’s the first time I’ve ever been through something like this in my life. It’s an experience and a learning lesson at the end of the day. I learned from it.”
Waiters’ first suspension of the season was for one game for the Oct. 23 season opener against the Grizzlies, for what the team called unprofessional conduct — including complaining on the bench about playing time during the Heat’s preseason finale and refusing to do one mandatory weigh-in.
The second suspension was for 10 games for conduct detrimental to the team related to a series of events involving Waiters, including an alarming medical situation on the Heat’s flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles on the night of Nov. 7. The medical situation was reportedly due to Waiters ingesting a THC-infused gummy.
In a statement issued by the Heat on Nov. 30 after Waiters completed his 10-game suspension, Waiters apologized to the organization and fans: “I would like to apologize to my teammates, coaches, basketball staff, the fans and the entire organization for the incident that happened on the team plane. I was wrong and take responsibility for what happened and am sorry for what it put everyone through.”
Just two weeks after Waiters’ apology, he was suspended for the third time. This punishment lasted six games and was issued “for his failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination.”
Between the three suspensions, Waiters has been suspended for a total of 17 games and has lost about $1.4 million of his $12.1 million salary for this season. He also will miss out on the $1.2 million bonus in his contract for appearing in at least 70 of Miami’s 82 games.
“I didn’t feel like I lost anything — besides my money — but it’ll come back around,” Waiters said of going through the suspensions. “Going through that and being able to just stay myself, stay sane, it taught me a lot about myself. I knew I was mentally tough because of my upbringing. But that right there, it’s going to try you and test you.”
But Waiters’ spot in the Heat’s rotation could end up being temporary, especially when the Heat’s roster returns to full health.
“There are so many moving parts right now,” Spoelstra said. “You just want everybody to put in the time behind the scenes, get in a healthy head space where you can contribute when your number is called. And he did that. He still has a ways to go with his conditioning, particularly game conditioning. That’s to be expected. But he’s a gamer. He showed that the other night.”
Does Waiters feel like he can earn a consistent spot in the Heat’s rotation again?
“If I put myself in a position where I stay ready or I don’t have to get ready, just being that pro, make sure I’m there for my teammates, I’ll be fine whatever happens,” Waiters said. “Of course I would like play, but that’s not under my control. At the end of the day, I know with this team already being successful what I can bring to it all.”
Waiters is in the third season of a four-year, $52 million contract he signed with the Heat in the summer of 2017. Before Sunday, he had been off limits by the Heat for comment since his initial suspension at the beginning of the regular season.
“You know that when you believe in yourself, you keep that confidence,” Waiters said. “I’m always going to keep that confidence no matter what happens. That’s what helped me last game. I knew what I could do. I thought I was going to be more tired then I was. I’ve been busting my [butt] every day, and it actually wasn’t that bad.”
▪ Jimmy Butler (sprained right ankle) is questionable for Monday’s game against the Magic. Dragic and Nunn are also questionable.
Heat big man Bam Adebayo (right ankle soreness) is listed as probable. Forward Justise Winslow (lower back bone bruise) remains out.
For added depth, guard Gabe Vincent joined the Heat on Sunday as part of his two-way contract. As expected, Miami also recalled forward Chris Silva from the G League on Sunday after his quick two-game stint with the Skyforce.
This story was originally published January 26, 2020 at 4:00 PM.
