Dion Waiters facts for kids
Waiters with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015
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| Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1991 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| High school | Life Center Academy (Burlington, New Jersey) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Syracuse (2010–2012) |
| NBA Draft | 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Pro career | 2012–2020 |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2015 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2015–2016 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2016–2020 | Miami Heat |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NBA.com | |
Dion Waiters Jr. (born December 10, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His career lasted from 2012 to 2020.
Waiters played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange. He was chosen as the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. This was by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Waiters also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers, his team won an NBA championship.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Dion Waiters was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his mother, Monique Brown. Dion loved playing basketball from a young age. He would play whenever he could, no matter the weather.
High School Basketball Journey
Waiters attended a few high schools in Philadelphia. He did not play basketball during his freshman year. After his freshman year, he decided to commit to Syracuse University. This was even before he played any high school basketball.
In his sophomore year, Waiters went to South Kent School. He then played basketball at Life Center Academy for his junior and senior years. By the end of high school, he was a top player. ESPN ranked him as the 15th best overall recruit. He was also the second best shooting guard in the ESPN 100 list.
College Career at Syracuse
Freshman Season Highlights
During his first year at Syracuse, Waiters played well. He averaged 6.6 points per game. He also had 1.5 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game. In a tournament game against Marquette, he scored 18 points. He made 8 out of 10 shots in that game.
Sophomore Season Success
In his second year, Waiters improved a lot. He averaged 12.6 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game. He was named the Big East Sixth Man of the Year. This award goes to the best player who usually comes off the bench. He also earned third-team All-Big East honors.
Professional NBA Career
Cleveland Cavaliers (2012–2015)
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Waiters fourth overall in the 2012 NBA draft. This was a surprise to some. He had not started in college. On January 14, 2013, Waiters scored a career-high 33 points. This was against the Sacramento Kings. He made 12 of 18 shots.
Waiters was chosen to play in the Rising Stars Challenge game. This happened during the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend. He scored 23 points for his team in that game. During his first season, he played both as a starter and off the bench. He dealt with an ankle injury and knee issues. These injuries caused him to miss 21 games.
After his first season, Waiters was ranked as the fourth-best rookie by NBA.com. He also finished fifth in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting. In 2014, he again played in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge. He scored 31 points and had 7 assists. On March 18, 2014, Waiters achieved his first career "double-double." He had 17 points and a career-high 11 assists.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2015–2016)
On January 5, 2015, Waiters was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This was part of a three-team trade. In his second game with the Thunder, he scored 15 points. This helped the Thunder beat the Utah Jazz. On April 15, 2015, Waiters tied his career-high. He scored 33 points in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
For the 2015–16 season, Waiters mostly played off the bench. On November 10, 2015, he scored a season-high 25 points. This was in a win over the Washington Wizards. When a teammate got injured, Waiters stepped up. He started games and played well. On April 6, he again scored 25 points. After the season, Waiters became a free agent.
Miami Heat (2016–2020)
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On July 26, 2016, Waiters signed with the Miami Heat. He played his first game for the Heat on October 26. He scored nine points and had six rebounds. On November 26, he scored a season-high 28 points. He later missed 20 games due to an injury.
Waiters returned to action on January 4, 2017. On January 21, he tied his career-high with 33 points. This was in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Two days later, he scored 33 points again. He made a game-winning three-pointer with less than a second left. This helped the Heat beat the Golden State Warriors. On January 30, 2017, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. He led the Heat to a 4–0 week. He averaged 23.3 points during that time. Waiters missed the last 13 games of the season due to an ankle injury.
On July 7, 2017, Waiters re-signed with the Heat. On October 30, 2017, he again tied his career high with 33 points. In January 2018, his left ankle injury returned. He had surgery to fix it.
On December 28, 2018, Waiters went to the Miami's G League team. This was for rehabilitation. On January 2, 2019, he returned to play for the Heat. It was his first game since December 2017. He scored seven points in six minutes. On January 8, he scored a team-high 15 points.
During the 2019–20 season, Waiters faced some challenges. He was suspended by the team for "conduct detrimental to the team." On January 24, 2020, Waiters made his season debut. He scored 14 points in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. On February 6, 2020, Waiters was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He was waived by the Grizzlies three days later.
Los Angeles Lakers (2020)
On March 6, 2020, Waiters signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He made his Lakers debut on July 30, 2020. He scored 11 points in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers made it to the 2020 NBA Finals. They played against the Miami Heat. The Lakers won the series in six games. This gave Waiters his first NBA championship.
Hiatus and Return Attempts
Waiters last played professionally in the 2019–20 NBA season. He then took a break from basketball for three years. During this time, he faced personal challenges. On July 13, 2023, he held a private workout. This was for NBA scouts. He hoped to rejoin the league. On August 8, 2023, the Golden State Warriors held a workout with Waiters.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Cleveland | 61 | 48 | 28.8 | .412 | .310 | .746 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .3 | 14.7 |
| 2013–14 | Cleveland | 70 | 24 | 29.6 | .433 | .368 | .685 | 2.8 | 3.0 | .9 | .2 | 15.9 |
| 2014–15 | Cleveland | 33 | 3 | 23.8 | .404 | .256 | .783 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.3 | .3 | 10.5 |
| 2014–15 | Oklahoma City | 47 | 20 | 30.3 | .392 | .319 | .625 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.0 | .2 | 12.7 |
| 2015–16 | Oklahoma City | 78 | 15 | 27.6 | .399 | .358 | .713 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .2 | 9.8 |
| 2016–17 | Miami | 46 | 43 | 30.1 | .423 | .395 | .646 | 3.3 | 4.3 | .9 | .4 | 15.8 |
| 2017–18 | Miami | 30 | 30 | 30.6 | .398 | .306 | .739 | 2.6 | 3.8 | .8 | .3 | 14.3 |
| 2018–19 | Miami | 44 | 28 | 25.9 | .414 | .377 | .500 | 2.6 | 2.8 | .7 | .2 | 12.0 |
| 2019–20 | Miami | 3 | 0 | 14.0 | .385 | .471 | .000 | 3.7 | 1.0 | .0 | .7 | 9.3 |
| 2019–20† | L.A. Lakers | 7 | 0 | 23.6 | .425 | .233 | .875 | 1.9 | 2.4 | .6 | .6 | 11.9 |
| Career | 419 | 211 | 28.2 | .412 | .346 | .694 | 2.6 | 2.8 | .9 | .3 | 13.1 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Oklahoma City | 18 | 0 | 27.3 | .417 | .375 | .667 | 2.6 | 2.3 | .6 | .2 | 8.4 |
| 2020† | L.A. Lakers | 5 | 0 | 7.6 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | .4 | .4 | .2 | .2 | 2.0 |
| Career | 23 | 0 | 23.0 | .410 | .350 | .688 | 2.1 | 1.9 | .5 | .2 | 7.0 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Syracuse | 34 | 0 | 16.3 | .411 | .329 | .813 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 | .1 | 6.6 |
| 2011–12 | Syracuse | 37 | 0 | 24.1 | .476 | .363 | .729 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 1.8 | .3 | 12.6 |
| Career | 71 | 0 | 20.4 | .453 | .348 | .753 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.5 | .2 | 9.7 | |
Awards and Achievements
- Second-team Parade All-American (2010)
- Jordan Brand All-American (2010)
- Big East Sixth Man of the Year (2012)
- Third-team All-Big East (2012)
- Big East All-Tournament Team (2012)
- NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month (February 2013)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2013)
- 2× NBA Rising Star (2013, 2014)
- NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week (January 23–29, 2017)
- NBA Champion (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Dion Waiters para niños
- List of people banned or suspended by the NBA
