David Richard / USA Today Sports
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters was absent from several pregame activities Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, skipping the national anthem and introduction of starting lineups.
It seemed at the time like a rebellion because Waiters had been replaced in the Cavs’ starting lineup for the first time all season. But Waiters told Cleveland.com that wasn’t the case at all.
Waiters is a Muslim and has re-dedicated himself to his faith, and that’s the reason he wasn’t present for the national anthem.
“It’s because of my religion,” Waiters told Northeast Ohio Media Group. “That’s why I stayed in the locker room.”
But Waiters stood with his teammates for the national anthem Friday night when the Cavs played at the Denver Nuggets.
His plan for future national anthems is unclear. Waiters isn’t the first NBA player to cause this type of stir. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, then of the Nuggets, refused to stand for the anthem in 1996 and was suspended by the NBA for it. The suspension lasted one game before the league and the shooting guard (born Chris Jackson) came to an agreement in which he stood for the anthem but closed his eyes in prayer.
On Saturday morning, Waiters vented on Twitter.
