Weaving between the 60 bouncing basketballs and the campers trying to dribble them was a blur of a man, twisting and spinning his way through the crowded basketball floor at Casady School.
Cameron Payne, the Thunder’s first round selection from the 2015 NBA Draft was on hand for a Thunder Youth Basketball camp on Friday, barely able to contain his energy as he participated in some of the drills with the youngsters. Still rehabbing and recovering from a broken finger in his non-shooting hand didn’t seem to prevent Payne from getting his competitive juices going.
The quick, shifty guard took part in knockout and the aforementioned dribble knockout, which could more aptly be described as a free-for-all where campers have to do all they can to shield their ball while trying to deflect everyone else’s away. Payne showed off his dribbling prowess, skating between campers but also encouraged the kids to be sure of their abilities and give 100 percent of themselves to winning. If they got knocked out, his message was just to get right back up and try even harder the next time.
“I’m a competitor,” Payne explained. “Confidence goes a long way. I needed confidence growing up. People did the same thing for me.”
“At this age, when I lost, I used to cry,” Payne continued. “Then I was coming back to play you again. I had fun when I was little. My dad taught me a lot about the game and I learned. I kept playing, I kept doing my thing and if I lost, I’d get right back up.”
The kids at camp were thrilled to test their skills against the rookie point guard and jumped at the opportunity to get a group photo and an autograph from Payne. More importantly, however, the campers listened closely when the former Murray State standout delivered pointers about the game and larger life lessons about achieving success and following through on dreams.
“Trust the process and believe that you can do it,” Payne outlined. “It might not happen now, but I can happen in the long run. That’s what happened to me. Being able to trust the process is a big time thing. That’s what I want to teach these kids.”
“It doesn’t matter how hard it gets, you’re going to get hit with adversity,” Payne continued. “Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t ever give up.”
After the whirlwind that the last three weeks has been since he was drafted, this was Payne’s first opportunity to give back to Oklahoma City youth since his introductory press conference. Between attending Summer League in Orlando, getting up to speed on what it takes to be in the NBA and working to get back to full health, Payne has been a busy man.
As a result, having a chance to reach out to the youngest generations of Thunder fans was a wonderful experience for the guard who will be spending 41 nights this season in front of the faithful at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“It was a blast to see everyone out here working and having fun,” Payne said. “Everyone has smiles on their faces. It makes me feel good. I’m pretty sure the community feels good about it, so I’m happy to be here.”
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