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Tristan Thompson: "The reality is this, David Blatt got hired to coach myself, Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller. He got hired before LeBron James signed back. So he got hired to help this young Cavs team mature to be a playoff team. He didn't get hired for LeBron James and Kevin Love to come in, you know, come be contenders. But the Cavs did a good job because they know David Blatt's coming from EuroLeague and he had multiple EuroLeague. So, you bring Tyronn Lue in and I think they the Cavs knew also like, hey, we got David Blatt who has this great potential but then we also have this young whip snapper Tyronn Lue where if things don't go right with Blatt and if we do get a superstar like the LeBron and James to come, we got someone that has credibility with LeBron James, that can kind of like make LeBron James feel comfortable."
Dion Waiters: But it’s also like politics too, bro, you know what I mean? Not everybody gets a second chance, right? Some people do, and some people don’t, you know what I mean? But I looked myself in the mirror already, bro. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and I kept moving. I looked in the mirror and said to myself the things I did wrong and the things I could have done differently. And, you know, I put it to bed. Me, personally, I want to go back. Even if it’s not the league, bro, I want to finish somewhere where I dribble the ball. I don’t want to finish on the couch or with some jewelry on. I want to go out doing what got me here—that’s with a jersey on, you know? Just being in my element. If I shoot the ball for the last time, that’s how I want to go out. That’s hard, right? That’s what I’m thinking about—tapping back in, trying to get in basketball shape, and going out like that. I want to go out with a bang, man. Go out shooting the rock or something. We ain’t about to go out here dripped up with jewelry and cars. I’m not a rapper, you know what I mean?
"There’s a rumor that me and Kyrie fought. Never. Not once. That’s my dog. We never had a physical altercation, ever. People said we argued, but it wasn’t even me—it was Tristan Thompson. We were just frustrated after losing by 30. It was nothing but competitiveness. That’s how it is when you’re trying to win and feed your family. That made us closer. I can put that on my life and my kids—me and Kyrie never fought."
Dion Waiters: "I own all my properties, have Airbnbs, and daycares. Every crib I bought, I own outright. I told my mom in 10th grade I’d get her a house, and I did. We built it from the ground up—no mortgage. She’s straight for life. I’ve made investments, and I’m still living comfortably with money in the bank. It’s about learning and making smarter decisions after experiencing life."
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Dion Waiters: "I’ve been through real stuff in my life. My mom got shot. My dad got shot. My grandma got shot in the head and survived. I lost my best friend, three cousins. I’ve seen things as a kid that people can’t even imagine. So when people try to break me down and build me back up, I’m like, 'No, I’ve already been through the worst.' That’s the gift and the curse—it’s what made me who I am. That confidence people talk about? I needed that to survive, just coming up in the city. It’s not about thinking I’m better than anyone; it’s about being a dog, being tough. That’s what Philly taught me."
Growing up in the challenging streets of Philadelphia, Waiters' love for the game was born from a series of life-altering events that shaped his career and identity. Raised in a tough neighborhood, basketball initially served as an escape rather than a calling. However, it wasn't until an unthinkable tragedy struck that the sport became a focal point in Dion's life. "My mom got shot, so what happened was, I had one of them old-school coaches; they don't give a [expletive] how good you were; I'm one of the best players on the team," Waiters said. "So my mom gets shot; long story short, I wind up missing practice; I was home taking care of her… The coach was like, 'You know, I can't do that for the kids that have been here working; you know you can work your way back up, and at the same time… and then, my mom just came out of nowhere and was like, 'Just hoop, just play ball,'" he added.
Dion Waiters: "One thing money showed me is the love was never genuine. Money exposed a lot of people, a lot of relationships I thought I had. Nobody can ever say I wasn’t a real friend. I answered every call, every text. If we fell out, it was usually because I didn’t do something for them, because I said no. People don’t ask for small things, either—it’s thousands of dollars. I’ve spent a lot of money on a lot of people, paid bills, did everything. But I learned the hard way: you can’t overfeed the wrong ones. It weighs on you when you realize some people were only there because of what you could do for them."
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Jorge Sierra: The players with the draft combine measurements most resembling Bronny James’: Dion Waiters, Sean Kilpatrick, Gary Harris, Shelvin Mack, Eric Gordon, Allonzo Trier, Charlie Bell, OJ Mayo. In that order.