Houston Rockets small forward Cam Whitmore explained the origin of his aggressive mindset. Despite being rated as a top-10 prospect, forward Cam Whitmore of the Houston Rockets was chosen with the 20th overall choice in the 2023 NBA Draught.
Due to health issues, he was drafted. Whitmore made his first attempt in the Summer League to disprove every NBA franchise that passed him up, and he was successful. Whitmore won MVP honors in the Summer League with averages of 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and a brilliant 2.5 steals.
The 19-year-old played a crucial role in the Rockets’ ascent to the Summer League title. Whitmore told Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints that his Summer League performance was merely a preview of what he expects of himself going forward.
“(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.”
Mindset of Whitmore explained in words of his coach and himself
Whitmore’s coach Aaron Miller stated in July how aggressively he pursues his goals and how much of a winning mindset the youngster possesses.
“[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,” “He wants to know how many shots that player put up and he wants to do more”.
Whitmore explained to Azarly where that aggression came from and how it has driven him all along his NBA career.
“Playing hard comes from my background,” “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 mindset of “nobody can outmuscle me” is also a result of his failure 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,”