Published 11:34 IST, April 21st 2020
Dion Waiters thanks LeBron James for helping him at Cavs; opens up on depression struggles
Lakers shooting guard Dion Waiters opened up on his struggles with depression over the past year. He also addressed his relationship with LeBron James.
- SportFit
- 4 min read
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Dion Waiters opened up on his struggles with depression and anxiety over the past year in a piece published on The Players' Tribune. The 28-year-old had a tumultuous season in the NBA as he was suspended on three different occasions by Miami Heat before finally securing a move to the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak means that Waiters is yet to make his Lakers debut.
Dion Waiters depression, relationship with LeBron James and more
However, addressing his excitement over a move to the Lakers, Waiters wrote, "When my son found out I was going to the Lakers, he went bananas." Waiters explained that his son was a fan of Lakers star LeBron James since his time at Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Dion Waiters, who played with LeBron James at the Cavaliers between 2014 and 2015 explained how James helped during his time in Cleveland. Waiters wrote, "I ain’t gonna lie to you. Back then, in those Cleveland days? I was still a kid, too. A dum***s kid, trying to figure it out. Bron (LeBron James) used to show me different wines, different kinds of food.
Despite spending just one season together, Waiters holds the utmost respect for LeBron James. "But Bron took me under his wing — and now all these years later, here we are again. Less hair, more wisdom. Life is crazy, right? Damn," he added.
Addressing the challenges he faced due to depression, Waiters wrote, "Even the hardest mothe******rs in the world go through depression, man. No cap." He further explained that he is just like everybody else and is haunted by depression and anxiety every night. The 28-year-old said he has been struggling with depression over the past 18 months. He, however, added that he has been doing a lot better as started spending more time with his family and drinking lots of water.
"For me, depression is fake happiness. You lie to yourself. You hide things. You’re saying it’s all good — to your homies, to your family, to yourself. But it’s a lie." - Dion Waiters wrote
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Dion Waiters depression and Dion Waiters plane incident
One of Dion Waiters' suspension was back in November 2019, when he ingested gummies during a team flight. It was later reported that the gummies were laced with banned THCs. Waiters was subsequently handed a suspension. While Waiters never tried to shift the blame, writing his self-piece on The Player's Tribune, the 28-year-old admitted that it was idiotic on his part.
While he said that he is not a habituated user of drugs or prohibited substances, Waiters added that he was in a dark place and his actions were as a result of him not being in the right mental space.
Despite the first half of the 2019/20 NBA season being appalling for Dion Waiters, the shooting guard is apparently looking for makeup for his suspensions by playing an important part in the Lakers roster. Acquired to provide an option from the bench, Waiters could potentially excel in the role and maybe help Lakers and LeBron James with their bid for the NBA championship.
However, as of now, the league remains suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. It remains unknown when and how the league will resume and conclude the pivotal second half of the season.
Updated 11:34 IST, April 21st 2020