Kyle Goldcamp
Stop playing.
That’s what Erie BayHawks power forward Kyle Goldcamp initially thought when getting a call from Wes Wilcox around 1 p.m. Friday about coming to the Cleveland Cavaliers training camp.
“I know Wes from being affiliated with Cleveland,” Goldcamp said about the Cavaliers, who were an NBA affiliate of the BayHawks for their first three seasons in the D-League. Wilcox, who is the general manager of the expansion Canton Charge, is also the director of player personnel for the Cavaliers.
The BayHawks are now hybrid partners with the New York Knicks
“At first, I didn’t know why he was calling me. Then when he asked me to come to camp, I thought he was joking with me to be honest. “He was dead serious. I said, ‘Absolutely. I’ll come to camp.’ ”
Goldcamp got the call after Erie had its morning shootaround Friday before ironically playing the Charge later that night. By the time the former Gannon standout got to Cleveland and took his physical, the Cavaliers had already finished their first day of camp.
So Goldcamp will get his first shot with the Cavs today.
Center Chris Daniels and power forward Kyle Goldcamp were two of the five Erie BayHawks invited to NBA training camps./Photo by Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News
“It’s a great opportunity,” Goldcamp said. “It’s what everybody works for. I’m just going to try to make the most of the opportunity. Compete hard, you know, and let the chips fall where they may after that.”
BayHawks small forward Mychel Thompson was invited to Cleveland’s camp earlier this week and found out about Goldcamp coming while in the locker room.
“He said when he was getting changed for practice, they had put my name plate up there,” said a a laughing Goldcamp. “He said, ‘Oh wow.’” He was really happy for me. I think he was just as surprised as I was. He was really happy and said it’s always good to see a familiar face.”
Goldcamp has worked out with the Cavaliers before previous training camps, but this is the first time he’s ever been invited to an NBA training camp.
In his third season with the BayHawks, Goldcamp is averaging 6.4 points and 6.8 rebounds.
“I’m very happy for him,” Erie coach Jay Larranaga said. “I think it’s an incredible accomplishment. It’s a credit to the type of player he is right now and the type of person he is that someone would invite him to an NBA training camp. Very few people get that opportunity in their lives. It’s a great experience for him.”
