Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Dion Waiters sought to clarify Saturday comments he made earlier this week about his religious beliefs and not being on the court for the national anthem at the Cavaliers game Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
On Friday, Dion informed me of his Muslim faith and said that was the reason he missed Wednesday’s national anthem.
“It’s because of my religion,” Waiters said. “That’s why I stayed in the locker room.”
I never recalled Dion missing a national anthem performance before, but he did mention he is rededicating himself to his religion. I then asked if he planned to continue this pre-game ritual the remainder of the season, and he replied, “Yes, I do.”
Thus, the story was born.
Dion and I had a long conversation on Saturday and we came to the realization that we were thinking two different things.
When I asked if he planned to continue his pregame ritual, I meant did he plan on skipping the national anthem from here on out. He said he was under the impression that I was asking if he would continue his prayer and meditation before games.
Fair enough.
Waiters reiterated that he would be present during the national anthem. He called it a “simple miscommunication” and added that he’s looking forward to moving past this situation.