Dion Waiters finally managed to play in a Miami Heat game this season when he logged his first minutes of the season last Friday.
He scored 14 points in 18 minutes of playing time. Not long ago, it seemed Waiters’ time in a Heat jersey had all but come to an end.
Waiters has been suspended by the team on three different occasions this season. Despite the behavioral issues that caused those suspensions, the Heat organization opted to offer Waiters another opportunity.
So far, it seems he has taken it. Following his season debut, Waiters took full responsibility for his past actions.
“I’m a grown man,” he said. “I don’t point fingers. I could easily say this and that, but at the end of the day, it’s me. I made immature decisions. So, you know, I take full responsibility.”
However, that wasn’t all the veteran guard said. He also took the time to thank his family for their support during the difficult times.
“I’m not going to lie to you, man. My kids. My kids, my family, my support system is so strong,” Waiters said. “I’ve got a lot of good people in my life. You find that out when you go through them times. This is the first time I’ve been through something like this in my life. … I don’t feel like I lost anything, besides my money.”
It is unclear how much playing time Waiters can expect from here on out.
While injuries to the roster have been a near constant for the Heat this season, it will be fascinating to see where Waiters will end up on a fully healthy rotation.
In the end, all Waiters can do is control his own behavior.
Nevertheless, his sentiment when asked about whether he expects to play going forward was quite clear.
“Hopefully,” he said.
