Q. How are you doing emotionally after what is a pretty serious ailment? Blood clot in someone's shoulder, that's serious.
CAM WHITMORE: Yeah, I kind of learned about it as time went on. I'm fine now. I'm not going to sit up and lie to you guys, say I wasn't okay, okay in the head.
It was a tough time for me and my family. I got through I we all got through it. I'm just grateful so I can be back on the court, be around the team, so...
Q. When you reflect on the time before your injury where you got to be on the court for this team, kind of learned some of the offensive schematics, defensive schematics, what do you think from this year you took away as something that gave you some confidence going forward?
CAM WHITMORE: I would say the team chemistry on and off the court. I believe I was really (indiscernible) chemistry off the court can build what you guys do on the court. I feel like we were emerging into that.
I mean, just trying to experience what happened to me, didn't really get the job done as I planned it. I'm hoping next year to turn things around for myself and also for the team, too.
Q. How has what you went through affected your appreciation for basketball?
CAM WHITMORE: I mean, basketball can be taken from me anytime, any moment I've realized. Also from a health standpoint, I mean, that was a life-threatening type of not disease but illness I had.
I'm just grateful just to be alive, to be honest, be alive, talk to my family, talk to you guys, be around my teammates. Extremely definitely a relief, and I'm trying to make a big jump or big push this upcoming off-season.
Q. You mentioned being back on the court. When was that? What was it like?
CAM WHITMORE: I definitely would say I was tired. I was winded a lot. I definitely wasn't moving the same as I was back in December. But, I mean, that all takes time. That's just the summertime itself. I'll be all right with that. I know my body. I know myself, so...
Q. We asked you about how you're doing on the mental aspect. How do you deal with watching a team make moves? Even if you have a good team with good chemistry, good support staff, how do you make sure you're doing all right, checking up on you?
CAM WHITMORE: I would say the in and out stuff doesn't really faze me a little bit, I kind of already knew I was going to be out for the season after I had a blood clot, had to get different types of procedures and everything. Knowing me, I'm an observer type of learner. I sit back, sit still, let life do itself.
I got traded myself, so I know what it's like to have new teammates. Even from my coach in college, I got a new coach in school and in high school. I had new teammates around me. Not a big deal.
Off-court stuff, we all get along pretty well, so that's what really matters.
Q. You can have sort of some company with the amount of guys that are off on the injury report at the end of the season. Were those vets who were also in street clothes any help keeping you doing your thing?
CAM WHITMORE: I mean, we have different, like, injuries. But, I mean, having them invest like that, that high of a caliber of player (indiscernible) to be on our team.
Q. If it would be okay, could you share any specific examples of how the team supported you throughout your situation?
CAM WHITMORE: I mean, I would say, I think I said this before, when I was diagnosed with it, going into surgery, I got videos from each and everybody separately, even the group chats wishing me a speedy recovery, successful surgery.
Some teammates came to visit me in the hospital. Coaching staff. Even front office. Everybody was there for me, everybody. I felt like love from afar, even though I wasn't even in the building.
Even when I came back, everybody welcomed me with open arms. I was really grateful for that.
Q. When you came back, what do you think you learned the most in terms of how you could get better as a player just watching?
CAM WHITMORE: Just from watching, what I've been hearing, I'd say my mindset, getting better as a player, having the right mindset. Just how you perform on the court and also how your body is. I'd say I fixed my mindset, have a different way of aspect on life, to be honest.
Q. You had a moment to sit back and watch the team, reflect a little bit. What is your plan for this off-season getting back into game shape, more just adjusting and re-acclimating with your teammates?
CAM WHITMORE: I feel like this is a perfect opportunity for me to turn things around. I'm not going nowhere. I'm probably going to be in DC majority of the time. I'll be here through my off-season. (Indiscernible) I can go see my family, if I have to. I don't have a problem being here.
Being here is definitely going to be a testament to my work. We're going to see what it's going to look like next season. So I'm excited.
Q. Does being home kind of help mentally dealing with the situation, glad that you're home with your family?
CAM WHITMORE: I have all the resources in the world, I believe, to be the basketball player I know I can be. Yeah, why not?
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports