Tremont Waters, Celtics Second-Round Pick, Delivers Message To Doubters

Being doubted is nothing new for Tremont Waters.

The LSU product is an undersized guard, listed at just 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds. Waters never has let his stature hold him back, however, and he took another step in defying the odds Thursday night.

Waters served as the Celtics’ final pick of the 2019 NBA Draft when Boston took him 51st overall. The 21-year-old knows he’ll continue to be doubted as he makes his way into the pro level, but he’s not going to let the negative chatter affect him while going about his business.

“I’ve said this before, I’ve been doubted growing up playing basketball. I’ve always been small. My size isn’t going to change,” Waters said Thursday, per WGNO in New Orleans. “I’ve been doubted in middle school. People said I wasn’t going to make it in high school, I’ve been doubted in high school. People said I wasn’t going to make it in college, I was doubted in college. People said I wouldn’t make it in the NBA, and now I’m here. My biggest goal and achievement I want to achieve is to just prove that size doesn’t matter. It’s about the size of your heart and the size of the bubble that you’re in. You have to keep your circle small, but I have a huge boost of ambition within me — my girlfriend, obviously my parents and that I carry on myself. So at this point, I’m in the door. Now I’m going to do my part.”

Waters likely will have a legitimate chance to crack the Celtics’ roster, as back-court bodies will be needed in wake of Kyrie Irving’s and Terry Rozier’s expected departures. While Waters probably is a long shot to have a major role in Boston in his rookie season, it’s safe to say he’s going into Year 1 with the right attitude.