Dion Waiters was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. After spending one year at Bartram High School in South Philly, Waiters made a quick pit stop to the Hillside his sophomore year, followed by two years at Life Center Academy. He took his game to the next level at Life Center Academy, becoming the #15 ranked recruit nationally by ESPNU and the #2 ranked shooting guard.
After a successful finish to his high school career, Waiters took his talents to Syracuse to play for the Orange under legendary coach Jim Boeheim. Waiter was a steady contributor his freshman year, averaging 7 points per game. He improved drastically throughout the season, as his 18-point breakout performance against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament increased his draft stock. Waiters would carry this momentum into his sophomore season, averaging 12.2 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game, earning him All-Big East Third Team and Tournament Team Honors. Additionally, he also won Big East Sixth Man of the Year.
His breakout campaign moved him up the NBA Draft List, as he was selected 4th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his four seasons with the Cavs, Dion made headlines with an impressive rookie season, qualifying as the 4th best rookie by NBA.com and finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. Also, Waiters recorded his first double-double with the Cavaliers in March of 2014 against the Miami Heat. Waiters would then spend two seasons with the Thunder as a key sixth man, helping lead the team to the Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. Then, he signed with the Miami Heat for 4 years, as he tied his career high in points with 33 in a game against the Golden State Warriors. During the 2019-20 season, Waiters was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won his first NBA Championship against his former team, the Miami Heat.