In a Monday press conference from Houston’s NBA home of Toyota Center, newly drafted rookie Cam Whitmore (No. 20 in the 2023 first round) offered perspective on joining the Rockets along with some expectations for his rookie season of 2023-24 and beyond.
Whitmore took the stage alongside head coach Ime Udoka, general manager Rafael Stone, and fellow rookie Amen Thompson (No. 4). He was in a great mood all day, even after the unexpected draft-night slide that pushed him to Houston’s second selection.
“I told them, I wanted to be here,” Thompson said in an interview with courtside reporter Vanessa Richardson of Rockets television partner AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
“I wanted to be in Houston,” he said. “I was working out after that, we met, and I told them that this is where I wanted to be. The fit, the people, I fell in love with the people right then and there. They were just very respectful. They just felt cool. I was just so comfortable.”
Here’s a roundup of everything Whitmore told reporters on Monday. With Thompson and Whitmore leading the way, Houston’s 2023 summer league roster begins play on Friday, July 7, in Las Vegas.