Here ya go...
Question: Do you feel you’re settling into that sixth man role?
Waiters: I”ve got to. I have to do whatever it takes for the team. I’m fine with it. I’ve been through it before my first two years so I can adjust to it easily.
Question: You always seem to wind up in that spot.
Waiters: It happens. That’s life.
Question: Do you want to explain what has happened the last 48 hours or so?
Waiters: It was a big miscommunication part, misunderstanding. Like I said, I love my country, I love the United States of America. I’d rather be here than anyplace else. It was a big misunderstanding on both parts.
Question: Why didn’t you make it out for the anthem Wednesday night?
Waiters: I went in the back for my normal routine, what I normally do. It just happened to take longer than what I expected. I missed the one time and this happened. I’m not worrying about it. It was just a big miscommunication.
Question: You’re saying your routine took longer and that’s fine, but you invoked religion the other night.
Waiters: No, I didn’t.
Question: You never brought up religion in a quote?
Waiters: No.
Question: Never mentioned anything about being Muslim?
Waiters: I said that in the summertime. Nobody knew what I was. I didn’t have to explain that. What happened like I said was a big miscommunication on both ends. It had nothing to do with the national anthem. I’m out there every time for the national anthem, so I missed it one time and people make this big thing out of it. Like I said, I love my country, I love the United States of America and that’s that.
Question: Dion, I asked you after the game on Friday what happened on Wednesday and you said you don’t want to talk about it because it’s your religion.
Waiters: There’s nothing to talk about. I missed it the one time because I went back and did what I normally do and it just took longer.
Question: But in your explanation you said, “It’s my religion.” You said it.
Waiters: I knew what you were getting into. I don’t have to talk about that. I talk about basketball, not talk about me. Focus on the team. We had a big team win and that’s what it should’ve been about. It shouldn’t have been about me or what I believe in. At the end of the day, like I said, I’m always out there for the national anthem. I missed it one time. I think the story got blown out of proportion. I’m just here to let you all know and let the world know I love my country and everything that goes to it.
Question: That message will get out. But the whole reason we’re discussing this is because we feel like you’re the one who brought religion into it.
Waiters: That’s on y’all then. That’s what y’all think. I can’t change what you think. I’m just here to voice my opinion and tell y’all what really happened and it had nothing to do with my religious beliefs at all.
Question: So we’re clear, what is your routine? What do you normally do?
Waiters: If you’re at the game, and you always see around the 5-7 minute mark (on the pregame clock) I always go in the back. Always. Every game for the last three years. Nothing changed. So if y’all want to look close into that I’m fine with that. I do it every game. Every game. We come out as a team, we shoot, we do what we do, we go through our little routine and I always go back in. Just so happened that one time I missed it.
Question: How sore were you yesterday (after taking bad fall Friday night)?
Waiters: I was very sore. My son was mad I couldn’t play with him yesterday. I tried to get a lot of rest, came in for treatment, things like that. It just hurts. It’s uncomfortable. You can’t sit the way you want to sit, sleep the way you want to sleep. I’ll be fine though.
Question: Did the football background help you on the fall?
Waiters: A little bit. I was actually nervous up there. I was kind of high, so I knew I was going to hurt something or fracture something. Luckily I drink a lot of milk so my bones are fine. I’m a thick guy.
Question: You were basically parallel to the ground.
Waiters: That was probably the first time I’d been scared in awhile. I’m normally not scared of a lot of things. I don’t like those types of falls.
Question: Has Darrell (Arthur) reached out to you?
Waiters: I haven’t talked to him. Like I said, I didn’t want him to get suspended. It just so happened he did. Things happen, man. I don’t have no problem with him, never had a problem with him and I wish him the best of luck the rest of the year.
Question: Have you seen the video of it?
Waiters: Yeah I watched it. My little sister sent it to me.
Question: What’d you think?
Waiters: She was more mad than I was. It was fine though.
Question: Was it a difficult 24 hours for you dealing with the extra attention?
Waiters: It wasn’t that bad, actually. I had a couple guys, couple phone calls, things like that. I didn’t know what was going on. We just got in at 6:30 in the morning. When I woke up, that’s when I got a couple calls and things like that. I don’t be on Twitter no more. I actually deleted the app a couple weeks ago.
Question: You were on Twitter yesterday morning.
Waiters: Yeah, I had to address that. I had to make sure I addressed that, then I deleted the app again.
Question: I’m sorry but I want to be perfectly clear: You never brought up religion the other night? Friday night? You’re saying you never brought it up.
Waiters: I don’t know. I ain’t sure. If I did, I did. But it had nothing to do with the national anthem. Whatever the case may be.
Question: Were you upset when you were told you were going to the sixth man role?
Waiters: Nah, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I was actually thinking about it myself, is it better for the team? I went to Coach and told him it might just be better for me to come off the bench, by myself. At the end of the day I’m still growing, still learning, especially with this team, this offense and the time we’ve had. And being the player I am, you need the ball. So I thought about it and it made a lot of sense just for me to come off the bench and do what I do. That’s why it was smooth sailing for me just to come off the bench and bring that spark. And we won that game. I can’t be mad at nothing.
Question: Feel more comfortable in that role?
Waiters: I can definitely be more aggressive coming in doing a lot of things differently that I haven’t done with the first unit. You might not get as many touches with the first unit as you do with the second unit, so you’re able to come in there and play your game, bring that spark, bring that energy that you need to bring. Just make sure you stay consistent. So I know my role now and I know that’s what the team needs, it’s best for the team and we’re just trying to win as many games as we can.
Question: When did you tell David you wanted to come off the bench?
Waiters: I believe after the Chicago game, I think. Yeah, I talked to him and he was saying, “it’s still early” and things like that. And I’m like, ‘It just may be best for me to come off the bench.’ It worked.
Question: David talks about a sixth starter. Do you look at it like that?
Waiters: To me it really don’t matter who starts, but who finishes the game. As long as I’ve got a chance to get my team a victory by me coming off the bench and by me finishing the game knowing I can buckle down and play defense, it will give us a chance to win.
Question: When you disappear between 5 and 7 minutes left until the (pregame) horn, what are you doing? Are you stretching? Are you praying?
Waiters: I’m not praying. I’m just going through my routine.
Question: So it’s not religious at all?
Waiters: Nah. Nothing to do with religion when I go back there. At all.