Cam Thomas Discusses His Offseason and How He Silenced the Doubters

Cam Thomas has been getting his buckets in bunches…lots of buckets in bunches.

He led the entire Hampton Roads area in scoring as a freshman at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, VA. He left Oak Hill Academy as the program’s leading scorer despite playing there only his junior and senior seasons. He then led all NCAA DI freshmen in scoring in his one season at LSU. It didn’t matter who Cam played with or against. His mission was always the same: score, score and get more.

That all changed when he fell into the lap of the Brooklyn Nets with the No. 1 pick. 27 in the 2021 NBA Draft. Not only would he be joining a champion organization, but he would also be joining a roster that wasn’t hurting for goals. Do the names Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden ring a bell?

On the other hand, Cam had first-class access to work with and learn from three of the greatest offensive players in hoops history. On the other hand, he had to bide his time and deal with consistent playing time, something he hadn’t seen at that point in his young career. Even then, Cam never lost an iota of confidence. It was tested, but that confidence is what got him here. And there’s a little “crazy” mixed in there, too. All the great ones have it. But we know how the phrase goes: It’s only crazy until you do it.

In the minutes of rest he was given, Cam showed flashes of his goal scoring. However, on any given night, he could play anywhere from four to 17 minutes or have a DNP. It was like this in his first two years in the League.

Then in February 2023…he exploded. Between the Nets moving on from their big KD, Kyrie and Harden and trying to figure out where to go, Cam got a few more opportunities. And he took full advantage. With Harden long gone, Kyrie recently traded to Dallas and KD in trade rumors, Cam revealed. It all came together when he set a record, becoming the youngest player to score 40 points in three consecutive games. And these 40 pieces were efficient, the works of a true scorer.

This past ’23-24 season, it started slowly but surely all came together. Cam started 51 of his 66 games, averaging 22.5 points in 31 minutes per game, a 12-point and 15-minute increase from last season.

And now we are here. The Nets have just completed a major trade, and there are many questions about where the team is headed. There is also an entirely new coaching staff, including Jordi Fernandez at the helm. But despite all the questions, one thing is certain. The Nets have the option to put an over-the-top number on Cam Thomas.

It’s a warm Friday afternoon in July at SLAM HQ in New York, and the 6-3, 22-year-old combo guard who lives across from us is on the verge of what will be, in some ways, the defining season of his career. He sat down to discuss his season, proving doubters wrong, his love for Kobe Bryant and more.

SLAM: How is the offseason?

Cam Thomas: It was good. Just laying down, resetting, preparing for the next season. It was really good.

SLAM: Have you developed a certain kind of approach, or do you approach each season differently?

CT: I usually try to go with a clean slide because you can’t. Things change from year to year, such as coaches, schemes, etc. This summer was probably the longest I took—about two or three weeks. Then I went back to it.

SLAM: You are well known for your ability to score points at a high level, and you have improved as a goalscorer every year since entering the League. Are there certain things you are focusing on improving for next season?

CT: No, it’s not. I want to continue working on everything. Last summer, I tried to put more emphasis on shooting, and I think I was up in the League percentage-wise in catching and shooting. [this past season]. So, just continue to work on that and improve the skills that I had coming into the League, like my dribbling and finishing the basket, [while] still improving in the catch and shoot, trying to have the best percentage in the League.

SLAM: The Nets were part of a big move this offseason when Mikhal Bridges crossed the bridge to the Knicks. This puts you in the biggest role of your career to date. How did you begin to approach and prepare for this expanded role, not just physically but mentally?

CT: Just know that and accept it. Attacking it directly. I’ve always had those roles [as the leader of the team] since I was in high school and college. So, I’m not really worried about it. I’m just happy to keep trying to do it in the League. I’m not worried about it at all; I’m ready.

SLAM: He’s on the short list of talented young guards in the NBA. What do you think you need to do to get to that next level?

CT: Just doing everything—doing it consistently. I had a big jump in points from my second year to my third year. I was 22.5 years old [points per game]so I think I’m trying to get into that 25 ppg range, step up the play and just try to continue to improve my all-around game. And hopefully, it leads to a win.

SLAM: Are you motivated by skeptics, or would you say you’re a serious person?

CT: It’s a little bit of both…I don’t really worry about doubters because I’ve always had them. No one really believed in my talent and scoring ability—not even at Oak Hill, not in college, not even in the League. So, I’m used to it. Now, it’s really just self-motivation. Even down in the draft slide all the way down to pick 27. I still have that chip on my shoulder. And even with the Nets, I didn’t play every time my first two years. I have that in my back pocket to keep growing and keep improving…to show why you should have played me in my first two years.

I am no longer focused on trying to prove myself. Everybody knows I’m one of the top young scorers—the top young guards—in the League right now. So, I’m just trying to grow my skill set, see where I can take it and be the best player I can be, this year, and the years to come.

SLAM: It’s clear that you have to have a lot of confidence to be a top scorer in the league, let alone a low point guard. What do you think is the main source of that idea?

CT: I would say I grew up in [the Hampton Roads area]. It’s physical there. Everyone is fighting for the same goal, in terms of sports. I feel that helped me in some way. And of course…Kobe Bryant. Just learning his thinking and idolizing him, that’s part of it, too. That’s really how I adjusted my attitude: Kobe and my hometown. At the same time, that’s just me.

SLAM: Do you have any personal or team goals for the upcoming season? Are you worried about All-Star, All-NBA and those kinds of individual honors?

CT: Individually, I just try to stay in the moment. Whatever happens, happens. If I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t. I want to keep improving. As for the team, the aim is to get better every day and try to win as many games as we can. To be honest, we don’t know what our team will look like going into next season. But whatever it looks like, we just want to be the best team we can be and try to put a good product on the floor in Brooklyn.

SLAM: What should Nets fans and Cam Thomas fans expect next season?

CT: To be happy. Entertainment. [I’m] hopefully it all leads to a win at the end of the day. We will see. It is different from the Organization. But I’m prepared, I’m not worried at all. I did it in League, but I want to take it to the next level, definitely.

Photos by Marcus Stevens. Action photos via Getty Images.