Saturday 30 November 2019 23:32, UK
Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters has apologised for the aeroplane incident that led to a 10-game suspension for detrimental conduct to the team.
Waiters reportedly had a panic attack on the team plane during a flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles on November 7 after ingesting a THC-infused edible.
"I would like to apologise to my team-mates, coaches, basketball staff, the fans and the entire organisation for the incident that happened on the team plane," Waiters said in a statement.
"I was wrong and take responsibility for what happened and am sorry for what it put everyone through.
"I am happy to be back with my teammates and am looking forward to getting back on the court playing basketball."
Waiters practised with the Heat on Saturday after completing his suspension on Friday night, when the Heat defeated the Golden State Warriors.
He addressed the situation with the team on Saturday but there isn't a timetable set for when he will see action in a game.
"His conditioning is at least at a level where we can work with him and get him to the next step," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.
"We just want to put this all behind us, get him with the team, and move on from here.
"Look, we've had enough time around each other, we understand that a lot of things happen over the course of an NBA season.
"What we discussed in the sanctuary of our locker room, I just want to keep between us. But we want to move on from this and get him back with the team.
Waiters has yet to play in a game for the Heat this season. He expressed dissatisfaction with his role in a social media post in October that led to a suspension for the season opener.
Waiters, who turns 28 next month, is in his fourth season with Miami and averaged 12.0 points in 44 games (28 starts) last season.
