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Dion Waiters loves America.

This past Wednesday night, Dion Waiters was noticeably absent during the national anthem leading some to believe that he could have been injured and not playing. Cleveland.com however ran a story with apparent quotes from Waiters saying he wasn’t present for the anthem because of his religious beliefs.

Waiters informed Northeast Ohio Media Group that he is a Muslim and that’s the reason he excused himself prior to the national anthem.

“It’s because of my religion,” Waiters told NEOMG. “That’s why I stayed in the locker room.”

However, since Cleveland has been somewhat of a circus out of the gate this season it would only seem natural for Waiters to come out and deny everything about the story.

https://twitter.com/dionwaiters3/status/531087999287558144

https://twitter.com/dionwaiters3/status/531088381149577216

https://twitter.com/dionwaiters3/status/531089368820113408

https://twitter.com/dionwaiters3/status/531090500992782337

What a mess…