Rockets' Cam Whitmore: 'I'm Here For A Reason'
Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, despite being labeled as a top-10 prospect. He fell in the draft due to medical concerns.
Whitmore's first attempt to prove every NBA team that passed on him wrong was in the Summer League... and he didn't disappoint.
Whitmore averaged 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a stellar 2.5 steals in the Summer League, winning MVP honors. The 19-year-old was the leading factor in the Rockets' run to the Summer League championship.
Whitmore told ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly that his performance in the Summer League was just a sneak peek of what he expects of himself in the future.
"(The Summer League was) just the start, the beginning," Whitmore said. "The start of me showcasing my talent, showcasing my abilities that I am a great pick, (that) I’m a top pick and I’m here for a reason."
Aaron Miller, Whitmore's trainer, revealed in July how much of a winning mindset the rookie has and how aggressive he is while pursuing it.
"[Cam] is so locked in and he is so competitive, he'll figure out who's working out at what time for me the following day and he'll want to come an hour early," Miller said. "He wants to know how many shots that player put up and he wants to do more".
Whitmore told Azarly where that aggression originated and how it's fueled him throughout his NBA journey.
"Playing hard comes from my background," Whitmore said. "My parents, my teammates, my future teammates, previous teammates. Everybody just building me up to my level and telling me who I am, reminding me who I am. I'm just going out there and playing hard."
Whitmore's "nobody can outmuscle me" attitude also stems from his skid on draft night.
"The way I was picked and disrespected from the start, from the beginning, I just have that chip on my shoulder and that motivation has allowed me to display my talents on the floor," Whitmore said.
You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.
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