Cam Whitmore Gets EMOTIONAL Revealing Untold Story of Draft Day Slide

Playmaker

Adversity is something Cam Whitmore has had to overcome most of his young basketball career. After breaking his leg twice he was forced to sit out an entire year, but that didn’t stop him from reaching his goals of playing in the NBA. Cam’s dog mentality helped him overcome his many obstacles and become a first round pick in the NBA Draft.   Modeling his game after Russell Westbrook, the former Villanova star looks to take the league by storm with the Houston Rockets. Tune is as we take you behind the scenes of Cam Whitmore’s inspiring story as he continues to rise to the top.   Subscribe & Hit the Bell to Turn on Post-Notification: https://www.youtube.com/@Playmakr  Shout out to Next Level Basketball for letting us film on their court! Check them out: https://nextbball.com - Follow Playmaker on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playmaker/?hl=en - Follow Playmaker on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playmaker?lang=en - Follow Playmaker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/playmaker - Follow Playmaker on Threads: *link* - Shop Playmaker Merch: https://playmakerbrand.com/ - Playmaker is all about stories, highlights, and in-depth behind the scenes moments of your favorite athletes and celebrities.  MB01GU6R3XXUW1L  MB0122S66NIPA2O  MB01RCZVCGHGFYC

Transcript

00:00 17 NBA GMs passed on Cam Whitmore on draft night.

00:04 This would be their biggest mistake.

00:07 Why the slide for Cam Whitmore?

00:18 I can report in talking to a multitude of league sources,

00:21 the concerns over his medical with a couple of issues in his lower extremities.

00:28 I was out for a year, I broke my leg twice.

00:31 I never really got seriously injured like that before.

00:35 I didn't know how to really handle it.

00:37 That's the thing about destiny, it arrives all the same.

00:41 I mean I just took a lot of time off, regrouped, changed my mindset

00:45 and just found some peace where I can take this basketball to the next level

00:49 and I can just help my game overall.

00:54 I was like a two-sport athlete at first but kind of stopped football

00:58 and focused on basketball around like five or six.

01:00 I'd probably say around eighth grade I had that mentality where

01:03 I mean anything is possible and I just thought I can really take this basketball

01:07 you know this basketball stuff to the next level

01:09 and just I can actually make a living out of it.

01:11 He's been through a lot in his past five, six years,

01:17 small career, high school and now pro career

01:20 and he's really overcome a lot of different obstacles.

01:22 So leadership, resilience, family, he's very family oriented.

01:26 So those are his core values and then from a skill set he's like super athletic,

01:30 shoots the three ball great, finish over defenders, he's unselfish,

01:34 he makes the right reads, he plays the right way.

01:36 In the old days it was the Mecca, now the hotbed of hoops is the DMV,

01:40 DC, Maryland, Virginia, KD, Mellow, Beasley to name a few.

01:46 We hoop outside, we talk trash,

01:49 Cam put himself on the map playing for Archbishop Spaulding in Severn, Maryland.

01:53 We love our homegrown hoopers through success, through injury.

01:57 This is where the kid from Odenton, Maryland owes it all to the culture.

02:01 I would say just supporting me every day no matter what,

02:04 even my downs, middle school to now.

02:06 So I mean just them never leaving my side and being loyal the whole time.

02:10 I would say that grit, I mean that mentality where like I mean

02:13 I would say mostly every hooper has played outside

02:16 and like we have I don't know how many courts where

02:19 and just you know five on five runs like every day like around the neighborhood.

02:23 So I would just say that grit mentality, that dog mentality where like

02:26 we don't really care like who that person is,

02:28 like we'll every time we step on that court,

02:30 I mean it's going to be a dog fight, we're just competitive.

02:32 Two injuries made him drop in the draft, none of that matters.

02:41 He's resilient, he fights, he never let what optically looked like

02:47 what's going to be his destiny be his destiny.

02:51 One year of AAU, just one.

02:54 McDonald's All-American.

02:56 Me and Bottom, my work ethic, I think my parents,

02:58 just their work ethic, just seeing them struggling at times

03:01 and then you know just powering back up

03:03 and just canceling all the distractions, all the minor errors

03:07 and just regrouping and just saw him coming up at the end of the day.

03:11 After one summer lighting up the circuit,

03:14 Cam earned himself a scholarship to play for Kyle Neptune

03:17 in the prestigious Villanova.

03:19 He would take home Big East Freshman of the Year in his first season.

03:22 From the Villanova Faithful to the NBA Scouts,

03:24 they'd all describe his game the same way.

03:27 Explosive, he can really get to the basket whenever he wants.

03:30 He can hit threes off the dribble, like he's just an exciting player to watch.

03:34 Any blocked shots, like at the rim, so that's always fun.

03:37 I would say the key to making me so great is just like my dog mentality.

03:40 How no matter like what gets in my way, I always just strive for greatness

03:44 and I always try to get to the top no matter what.

03:46 How dirty, how messy it gets, I still just you know, try to give effort.

03:50 I mean, I would just say I always believe in myself and my confidence.

03:55 Something that's always engraved in me that would send me from day one

03:58 and ever since that, I mean just you know, kept it going.

04:02 I would say growing up, I'm about to my game after Russell Westbrook.

04:05 I would just say his mentality, how he brings to the game, his energy, his motivation.

04:11 Also, I would say coming in now, I would say my game is sort of like James Brown.

04:15 After one season at Nova, Cam was drafted number 20 overall to the Houston Rockets.

04:20 Yo Cam, who's the most excited about your rookie season, you or your parents?

04:25 I would say myself, but my parents are my biggest supporters, so yeah.

04:29 Gotta be them right next to mine.

04:31 I would say just the whole city just showed love from the jump.

04:35 I mean, when I was drafted, I seen like a couple videos, but it was just, I mean, a surreal moment.

04:40 Just seeing, knowing that I'm coming to a city where you know, they're loyal, they're respectful

04:44 and they, you know, they ride for you.

04:46 I mean, no matter what ups and downs, that's just not for me, but everybody on the roster.

04:50 So, I mean, that's just something I see, I'm looking forward to.

04:55 How he's made his way through the ranks from high schooler, playing EYBL,

05:01 Downs All-American to Villanova to now the Rockets is just being dedicated, dedicated to his craft.

05:08 He works hard, he loves the game.

05:10 It's been a part of his destiny and what he wanted to do ever since he was a kid.

05:13 So, he's just chasing his dream.

05:21 So, the way he's going about his like off-scene training and, you know, not being satisfied with where he is as a player.

05:27 He's working out two to three times a day.

05:29 I mean, this is his vacation and he's in the gym for two hours.

05:32 So, you know, that's a major commitment and dedication to his craft.

05:36 You know, and I think he's been groomed like that to be like that for the last few years.

05:40 When he was in high school, he would train during the season.

05:42 When he got to Villanova, he had, you know, different guys working him out.

05:46 So, Cam has always been dedicated to the work.

05:50 I would just say working on my game every day.

05:52 Just like little mistakes, tighten up my handle, get my mid-range down on tap.

05:58 Just crafting my game, perfecting it and just adapting to the new coaching style.

06:03 We worked on ball handling drills.

06:07 That's one of the things, I mean, he's been able to play all positions, one through five in high school and AAU.

06:14 So, you know, with him playing with the Rockets now,

06:16 he's kind of transitioned to just being more of a three slash two, you know,

06:21 that has to be able to bring the ball up sometimes.

06:23 So, ball handling with pressure, doing drills, what we'll do today,

06:26 where he'll have to make the correct read, coming off screens, finishing.

06:30 So, anything guard, but I mean, defensively, he's an animal, so he can guard one through five.

06:35 So, just continuing to build that guard skill set.

06:43 Slides Whitmore, attack, good go back.

06:46 Killican.

06:49 As sharp as it knocked away, here's the run out, Whitmore.

06:52 Summer League MVP, I was very happy.

06:55 I mean, I was relieved that, I mean, just all that hard work paid off and I just knew,

06:59 I mean, it wasn't for nothing that it was just, you know, like, it's still something at the end of the day,

07:03 but it was just, you know, a reward or just, you know, the start of something new in my journey.

07:08 So, Summer League MVPs, you know, the fact that he won it and you have all these great players,

07:12 like John, Blake Griffin, I mean, Cam's going to be Cam.

07:15 So, whatever's in his destiny, that's who he's going to be.

07:18 And if he's, you know, blessed to be in that same category, I'd be there cheering him on.

07:22 I would say, I mean, everything, playmaker to me is just, you know, versatility.

07:26 I mean, you just have to be able to do anything, like, you know, you're going to be asked to do.

07:30 That's what I think, you know, it's just only the beginning, you know, there's much more work to be done.

07:34 I'd say just somebody just give their effort every time they step on the floor.

07:41 I mean, 110%, I mean, from both ends, offensively and defensively,

07:45 it's a versatile type of player you can just, you know, you can put on the floor,

07:49 you can ask them to do whatever and they'll do it.

07:51 Biggest inspiration is probably, I would say, LeBron.

07:54 It's how he just brings himself on and off the court.

07:56 I mean, him from the beginning, how, you know, had all that hype, didn't really care about it,

08:02 just kept, you know, the main focus, the main goal, and then now, up to now,

08:05 just still having all the hype, still, you know, reigning humble,

08:09 taking care of his stuff off the floor and then still bouncing back at the end of the day

08:14 and still, you know, playing as a 38-year-old man, still, you know, running up with the young guys.

08:20 So, I mean, it's still, you know, just surreal to see and just, you know,

08:23 somebody that you just have to notice, look up to.

08:25 Some of the goals, you know, get my feet wet, get comfortable on the NBA floor, learn,

08:30 just, you know, have some fun with the, you know, get some new teammates,

08:33 and just, you know, go out there and give it my all, give my effort, trying to win the championship.

08:37 Career goals, a couple championships, MVP, that's really it.

08:42 [Music]

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