Houston Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore, selected as the 20th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has been a scoring machine in his limited minutes. A fan-favorite after receiving the Summer League MVP honors, Whitmore has averaged 10.5 points in 16.3 minutes per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor nearly 40 percent from deep. The Villanova product has shot the rock extremely well for a 19-year-old player at the NBA level.

Better yet, Whitmore is already knocking on the door of sheer athleticism. The way he's capable of contorting his body when driving toward the rim at the right times, unleashing a flurry of moves and verticality, is already receiving highlight reels on social media.

Obviously, this type of physicality merits a performance at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Already coined the nickname “Slam Whitmore” by Rockets fans alike, many were eager to see if Whitmore was going to participate.

Much to people's expectation, Whitmore declined his recent invite from the league.

No Slam Dunk Contest for Whitmore

Whitmore has already been asked twice to participate in the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. However, the rookie declined both of these invites. Right now, Whitmore mentioned that he doesn't have signature moves that would make any noise in the contest.

“I don’t, I really don’t, nothing that takes technique and plus, with the flashiness added into that,” Whitmore said. “It’s hard.” I got asked twice for the dunk contest and I said ‘no.’ I’m waiting until the time comes. I don’t see myself as a dunker. I don’t have anything up my sleeve right now. But in year two, year three, when I establish myself as somebody in this league, yeah I’ll do it.”

Although he doesn't appear to have interest in the Dunk Contest, Whitmore does hope to be in this year's Rising Stars game, Feigen reported. An invite to the Rising Stars game would certainly put him more on the map for NBA media.

Cam Whitmore's main objective: Win

The Rockets are currently 21-24 this season and Whitmore is focused on helping the team win by any means necessary. In fact, his main goal right now after spending time in the G League is to remain in the NBA as long as he can in order to establish himself as a mainstay on the Rockets.

Recently activated from the G-League over a month ago after spending time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Whitmore has seen the longest stretch of NBA production in his young career. The recent bump in his minutes is due to Whitmore's increased production with the Vipers. This has resulted in averages of 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and a 41.2 shooting percentage from deep in the month of January.

There is no denying that Whitmore has been impressive. In the 13 games he has played with the Rockets since joining their rotation on a more full-time basis, the Rockets' rookie has matched up with some of the other top rookie performers across the league. After all, it's not every day you see a teenager come up from the G League in the middle of the season and consistently be a double-digit scoring threat.

The dedication Cam Whitmore has to helping his team win in a short amount of time speaks volumes about what his goals are at the highest level.