Cam Thomas says James Harden had bigger impact than Steph Curry on his NBA generation

No, I was just gonna say he played with 3 players that have flawless offensive games, no offensive deficiencies. So that was it. Go ahead.

I was going to ask because I saw James make a comment the other day and I actually Most people would take it as a slight at Steph. I don't take it as a slight at Steph because quite frankly, A, the man just said Steph was in a realm of his own. So respect that. But he made a valid point and he was talking about the way that he played basketball and the step backs and all of that. Like how much a lot of people drew from his game. And so I guess my question to you is, and coming up during that time, obviously I'm in it, and I'm playing. Do you think more young guys like yourself were watching James and saying, "Oh man, I wanna play like that," or watching Steph and saying that?

Good question. I think we were mainly, I think we really gravitated towards James 'cause James was doing the isos and like breaking people down one-on-one, scoring the 40s and 50s. I think Steph really changed the way teams wanted to play the game of basketball, shooting the threes, the pace of, you know, the pace y'all play at, just, moving around without the ball. I think Steph really changed the way the teams around the league try to play. James really changed the individual play of, you know, players like the, like the isos really made just the isos, the handles, step backs, shooting tough shots, you know, just the foul drawing, just all that stuff. I think James really changed the individual skill of how players wanted to play the game. Steph really changed like the team culture to, you know, everybody wanna shoot threes now. Everybody, if you can't shoot threes, you can't play. Yeah. So it was like, he really changed, definitely changed the team aspect of the league for sure.

Wow, that's incredible.

I never thought about it that way.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

Especially from the young dudes. It's good to hear from the young dudes, 'cause you know, it's like, who y'all gravitating to, right? And who you patterning your game after is, and Draymond, go back to really the statement that Harden made. You know what I mean? It's like, it is a difference between what Steph do and how he get it done. Draymond Green and, you know, Harden. And I think like this next generation, like you guys are all so weaponized offensively. You know what I mean? It's just like, you can just tell, you just in the lab working on your, you know what I mean? You just working on your arsenal.

For real.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

So yeah, I think James is, James and Steph are like the two of this, of our, for us, for our generation, for the young guys is just like the, the 1 and 2. So, you know, credit to those guys for changing the game. But you know, it's our time now for sure. So yeah.

No, no doubt.

And what player surprised you the most? Like game-wise, you like, damn, that dude, come on, I need to take inventory on him.

Ooh, that's a good question. It'd be a lot of people that kill us and I'm like, hey, I didn't know he was like that. We always had that game. Everybody go crazy on us. But I'd probably say my second year, Brandon Ingram, at the beginning of the year, he was, yeah, he was, I was like, yeah, he cold. Like he was pulling up over K, making it, just getting to his spots. I was like, yeah, he cold for sure.

That's tough. That's tough. It's funny to hear you say that. Like, man, somebody always get off on us that's not supposed to.

Always.

It's because every, everyone in the league, Like if you play meaningful minutes, like you're now doing, like you are the focal point of a team now. But what you'll realize is, and you may not have found that person yet because this is your, like this is the most you've played consistently this year where the ball is like, and it's like your coach is inviting you to be Cam, you know what I'm saying? Like I think this is the first time your coach—

Oh yeah, totally.

Invited you.

Yeah. You can.

All right, so I think you'll probably start to figure it out, but there's always a guy in the league that if you say that person's name, people would never know that that's the guy you struggle with. So like for instance, we used to always joke, like the guy I used to struggle with the most was Taj Gibson. Like Taj Gibson may be one of the only people that I've ever in my career, I asked for a switch. Like I was like, 'Cause Jermaine O'Neal was on my team at the time, it was my second year. And I'm like, "J-O, you gotta guard him, man. I'm gonna go guard Joe Kim Noah." Like, I can't, he giving me fits, J-O. Like, you gotta guard. And at that time, I'm trying to keep my minutes, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm trying to stay on the floor. So like, "J-O, you gotta go guard him." It was Taj Gibson for me. Every time I played Taj Gibson, he would give me hell. For Steph, Ricky Rubio. Every time Steph would play Ricky Rubio, Ricky Rubio would give us hell. KD, it was actually slow-mo. Kyle Anderson used to give KD fits when we would play against Kyle Anderson. And so to hear you say like, yo, it's always one guy that like outta nowhere he just cook us.

Bruh, I'm like in heavy help, you know, like they're like, oh, he's not really gonna shoot much. I'm in heavy help. And then he go hit 3, 4 threes. I'm like, I mean, what you want me to do?

Like you told me to help. Like Draymond Green did to me last night.

Nah, J. Wilkins shoot.

Listen, they were like, yo, he could shoot, he could shoot some, but he, you know, like he more someone to drive. Man, he came out busting my ass. Then he drove, put his shoulder in my chest. I'm like, yo, what's up, man? Like I had no idea this dude could hoop like this, man.

He was at you.

He was cooking me last night. I had no clue.

Big shoulder, big shoulder.

Man, he hit me with a crazy shoulder and they reversed the call. I'm like, bro, he can't just veer into me like that, bro. It's crazy. Hey, young fella played well though, really well.

He did, for sure though. You know, credit to all the young guys.

My dude was—

They did.

Yes, they did. Y'all got some young talent, man. Y'all got some hell of a talent. I like the young pieces. My dude was José Calderón. I don't know if it's a Spain thing. But I couldn't stand Jose Calderon for some reason. He always outplayed me when we played, dude. I was like, ah, great player, great point guard. You only have these games against me, dude.

Jose got paid off you.

Like, bro, hey bro, serious, serious, bro.

Nah, I hate that.

It's like, dang dude, I gotta play against this dude. You know everything they gonna do and they gonna beat you doing it.

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That's the beauty of the league though. You know what I mean? It's like the league is always about matchups, right? And you never know who has your number. You know what I mean?

No, totally. Yeah. That's the beauty of the league. And it's never all—

Who do you, who do you like? Who do you like going up against? Who are the top 3 people when you see them, you like, okay, okay, it's about that time. Oh yeah, it's that time. Come on, man, give me 3 people. Come on, we gonna set that, we gonna start this league right now.

I can't do that. Nah, I can't do that. It's the whole league. I like playing against the whole league.

It's the whole league.

Yeah, I like playing against the whole league. Line it up.

Who's the top dogs?

Yep. That's how I always felt about line it up. You know, I don't really, I don't really duck no smoke from no team. Just line it up. I don't care who the team is. I don't come out there to play a—

Who do you want to know, hey, I got smoke for y'all. Every time I see y'all, it's up. I got smoke for y'all. Everybody.

Every team, bro. I'm telling you, every team. Every team. I don't play, I don't pick no favorites. It's every team. I don't care who it is.

I respect it. Everybody equal. I respect, guess what? You know why? 'Cause ain't shit funny. That's it. Like, that's it right there. Like, I'm not— Ain't shit funny.

That's the same persona.

I'm not impressed by none. Not one of y'all are gonna make me feel like I need to do more against you. Ain't shit funny. That's all in the same. You gotta give people that, bro.

That's that part of it, man.

That's the same thing.

That's that part of it.

Like, ain't shit funny. I don't care about none of y'all. I'm not moved by you. I'm moved by going to get these buckets. Ain't shit funny. Like, you know what, like that's, ah, you got it, bro. I'm telling you, you got it.

It's right in front of you. That's your thing.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, that's your mantra, bro. That's your persona. Like, yeah, the big homie, you know, that's a blessing. You know what I mean? Embrace that, 'cause you are that. You know what I mean? You are that. Like, ain't nobody laughing when they got a matchup with you.

No, it ain't funny.

They got work. They got some work to do.

Yeah.

Nah.

You feel me?

That's for sure, man. So take that with you for sure.

And just speaking of your team, you know, like I said, I think y'all are having a much better year than anyone anticipated.

Yeah.

Right. You know, coming off a couple wins to end off a tough West Coast road trip. Y'all come off of winning against us or winning against Kings, winning against us, y'all got Phoenix. But you know, how do you see this season now playing out for y'all? Like, dude, does it feel like the tune of the organization is changing with the success that y'all are having?

Yeah, honestly, from, you know, preseason and stuff, I think everybody wanted to come out and win games. Obviously, you know, nobody wants to go out there to lose every game. So I think the motto that we had was just, just be competitive, like be physical, be connected, you know, wherever that takes us, takes us. But I think we really, um, as players really bought into our, to the new staff, to what they're teaching them. So I think that's really helped us and us really like, we like playing together. I think, I think we like playing together and we really want to prove the doubters wrong. So I think we always felt we were, you know, good enough to play like how we are now. I think, and I think honestly we, we dropped some games that we could have won. So I think our record could be— Right. I think our record could be much better than what it is, honestly. So I think, I think we were just, we were like right there, you know, it's always like just, you know, young team stuff, learning how to finish the game. So I think we just going through that sometimes. And you know, I think we, we got a really good year. We just gotta keep sticking with it and have a really good year. Just keep sticking what we doing.

Yes, sir. And your ankle, like, how you feel about that? Like, will you miss a bunch of time with that or will it be—

Nah, nah, nah, it's nah. I shouldn't, it's not even my ankle. It's, I think it was like just my left hammy tightness. There's nothing wrong with it. Just didn't feel right finishing. Probably could have made it worse if I kept playing against y'all. So I was just like, you know, I'm just let the young guys play, finish it up. And then, you know, credit to them that y'all, everybody stepped up making shots, playing hard.

So.

You know, we gonna need a lot of people to step up, you know, when I'm out. So definitely need that.

You know, coming off a couple wins to end off a tough West Coast road trip, you know, y'all come off of winning against us or going against Kings, winning against us, y'all got Phoenix. But you know, how do you see this season now playing out for y'all? Like, dude, does it feel like the tune of the organization is changing with the success that y'all are having?

Yeah. Honestly, from, you know, preseason and stuff, I think everybody wanted to come out and win games. Obviously, you know, nobody wants to go out there to lose every game. So I think the motto that we had was just be competitive, like be physical, be connected, you know, wherever that takes us, takes us. But I think we really, as players, really bought into the new staff. To what they're teaching them. So I think that's really helped us and us really like, we like playing together. I think, I think we like playing together and we really wanna prove the doubters wrong. So I think we always felt we were, you know, good enough to play like how we are now. I think, and I think honestly we, we dropped some games that we could have won. So I think our record could be, I think our record could be much better than what it is, honestly. So I think, I think we were just, we were, we were like right there, you know, it's always like just, you know, young team stuff, learning how to finish the game. So I think, we just going through that sometimes. And you know, I think we, we got a really good year. We just gotta keep sticking with it and have a really good year. Just keep sticking with what we doing.

Yes, sir. And, and your ankle, like you, how you feel about that? Like will, will you miss a bunch of time with that or will it be?

Nah, nah, nah, it's nah, I shouldn't. It's not even my ankle. It's, I think it was like just my left hammy tightness.

Right.

It's nothing wrong with it. Just didn't feel right finishing. Probably could've made it worse if I kept playing against y'all. So I was just like, you know, I'm just let the young guys play, finish it up. And then, you know, credit to them, everybody stepped up making shots, playing hard. So, you know, we gonna need a lot of people to step up, you know, when I'm out.

So definitely need that. Courtney is y'all trainer, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, live in that training room, bro. Get back out on that court so you can—

For sure, bro, you know it.

So you can be an All-Star this year. By the way, what do you feel about the case you're making to be an All-Star this year in the East, especially where—

Totally.

Damian Lillard hasn't had as great of a year The Philadelphia 76ers having a down year. You know, you got a lot of guys that ain't, that's been All-Stars that ain't necessarily playing as good as you're playing. What's, you know, what's your case and how you looking at that?

Yeah, I'm definitely, definitely looking to, you know, have my name in that convo for sure. I think I'm making a great case, especially for how our team was projected to be to start the year. They was projecting us to be the worst team in the league. And then, you know, we're coming out surprising people. And then my play, you know, speaks for itself. So I think I'm definitely making a great case early on. I mean, it's still early, but I definitely wanna keep it up and hopefully, you know, have my name be All-Star this year for sure.

Let's go, man. You got the city, you got the city, you're one of the best cities, basketball cities, you know, in the world. Talk about just, you know, as we wrap up, just what New York, you know what I mean? And being in New York, you said it's like a second home, how they embraced you. Just talk about that energy. And like how basketball is just so exciting. Like every day you wake up.

Yeah, bro. Just even like my rookie year when I first got drafted, everybody, everybody loved me. Like even, you know, social media, all the fans, they love the pick. And then, you know, every time I got in, whether it was at the end of the game or, you know, get surprised, throw me in like second, second or third quarter and I go out there, hit, hit a crazy shot or start cooking. Then, you know, the whole crowd in the arena go crazy. So I just feel like, That's really, like I said, my second home. Like, they love Cam Thomas. So every time I'm at home, I try to put on a show for them the best way I can. Because you never know, you know? You never know. Somebody new might come, never saw you play before. And you want to put on a great show because, you know, I just love to put on a show for the Brooklyn crowd, for sure. So I just really love it.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] Hello.