Dion Waiters is making the most of a second chance. Or maybe it’s a third or fourth possibility.
However, the waiters were given a new basketball life by joining LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers shortly before the NBA went on hiatus in March.
The Lakers are considered one of two or three favorites that emerge from the Orlando bubble with a championship, but Waers is clearly happy to be where he is today after where he has been.
“At this point in my life, I just want to play basketball, take care of my family and have fun,” the waiters told reporters. “You never know. As you can see now, we live in a movie with everything that’s going on. Who would have thought that we would have spoken this way (on Zoom)? “
Waiters, 28, is a 6 and 4 foot shooting guard and has appeared in just three games with the Miami Heat this season. It started with a suspension after the waiters allegedly complained about the playing time. It ended (at least in Miami) after the waiters allegedly ingested some tires tied to marijuana. It provoked a panic attack.
The Heat swapped the waiters for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Grizzlies gave up on him before he appeared in a game.
The Lakers are the typical LeBron team – a team willing to risk veterans with an uncertain basketball background, but also veterans who have the ability to offer when games mean more.
Think about Lance Stephenson or JR Smith.
Even the waiters are that kind of talent and he has earned the praise of his teammates, who yelled “Cheese” off the bench during the scrimmages when he hits a shot. “Cheese” is Waiters’ nickname and is an abbreviation for “Philly cheesesteak”, the sandwich made famous by the hometown of Waiters in Philadelphia.
“It just gives us a different dynamic,” coach Lakers Frank Vogel She said. “We have catch-and-shoot shooters, many of them. But what he is capable of doing: handling the ball, choosing and throwing, playing, making great throws. We are excited about it. “
The waiters were enlisted by Cleveland with the fourth overall choice in 2012. In reality it was exchanged by the Cavaliers shortly after James’ return in 2014 … in an agreement that delivered JR Smith to the Cavs, no less.
The waiters went for a decent run in Oklahoma City and for a while in Miami. Vogel, LeBron and The Lakers believe that those decent rides have not reached the end, that at least another one remains for the waiters.
“Here, it’s like it’s different, man,” the waiters said. “It’s an atmosphere. Everyone is just positive. We have our slang and things going on. … makes you feel good though. You’re excited. “
