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Cleveland Cavaliers Dion Waiters jams home 2 points against the Houston Rockets in the 1st quarter on March 22, 2014, at Quicken Loans Arena. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer) ORG XMIT: CLE1403222116196811

(Chuck Crow)

Update: Dion Waiters clarifies remarks about his pregame ritual, will be there for anthems

DENVER, Colo. – Prior to the Cavaliers getting set to take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, one of their players was missing from the pregame opening events.

Dion Waiters was nowhere to be found when the national anthem was being sung. He was absent when the starting lineups were introduced.

It was the first game of the season that he was coming off the bench. He finally arrived from the locker room to join the Cavaliers' bench a couple seconds before tip off. Folks started to speculate if he was injured, disgruntled or if this was his way of rebelling?

Turns out, Waiters was just acting in accordance with what he feels his religious beliefs are.

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."

Waiters says he is rededicating himself more to his Muslim faith. He appears to be in a happier state.

The guard, however, did stand with his team during Friday's national anthem before they faced the Denver Nuggets. Maybe he's selective with it.

After the Cavaliers defeated the Nuggets, a game in which Waiters had his best outing of the season with 17 points, he refused to talk any further on the matter.

"I don't really want to talk about that, my religion," he said. "I don't really want to talk about that. I want to talk about basketball."