There was a time when NBA scouts legitimately thought Dion Waiters was going to be a superstar. Some even questioned if the Cleveland Cavaliers should build around him instead of Kyrie Irving.
Waiters had a strong and often difficult character. He was a relentless offensive-minded player, and his shot selection and attitude often got in the way of his skills.
He bounced around the league and even won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in the bubble. However, his attitude issues drove most teams away, up to the point where he was out of the NBA by 28.
Dion Waiters Talks About His Struggles With Mental Health
Waiters found himself as a perennial free agent and no offers sitting on his table. So, now that he’s trying to work his way back to the league, he opened up on having suicidal thoughts after not having professional basketball in his life anymore:
“I just wasn’t having fun. I had thoughts of not being around, but I’ve got kids,” Waiters said. “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.”
“If you think about it, I went through every phase in the league, bro,” Waiters continued. “I was a top-five pick, a starter, not starting, starter again. I went to Miami and had a good situation, and at the peak of my career, I broke my foot. I’ve been through it all. I would tell the youngsters to stay with it. Come in and work every day, keep your mouth closed, learn how to talk to people, watch a lot of film and just prepare for that moment when your time comes. They’ll eventually throw you out there.“
We often forget that professional athletes are also humans, first and foremost. Props to Waiters for getting himself out of that dark place and being brave enough to share his story.