Cameron Bairstow facts for kids
Bairstow in 2014
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| Power forward / center | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | 7 December 1990 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | New Mexico (2010–2014) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2014 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2009–2022 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Australian Institute of Sport | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Austin Spurs | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Brisbane Bullets | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Rytas Vilnius | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Illawarra Hawks | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Adelaide 36ers | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Cameron David Bairstow (born 7 December 1990) is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of New Mexico in the United States. Later, he was chosen by the Chicago Bulls in the 2014 NBA draft. After two seasons with the Bulls, he played for five of the next six years in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL).
Contents
Cameron Bairstow's Early Life
Cameron Bairstow grew up in Brisbane, Australia. He went to Runcorn State High School and then Anglican Church Grammar School. His parents, Ian and Penny, were also involved in youth basketball. Cameron is one of seven children. Many of his brothers and sisters also played college basketball.
Cameron played for youth teams like the South West Metro Pirates. He also attended the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra from 2009 to 2010. While at AIS, he played in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). In 2009, he helped the Queensland team win the Under 20 Australian national championship. He also played for the Australian Under 19 team that won the FIBA Oceania title.
College Basketball Journey
After playing in Australia, Cameron moved to the United States. He joined the University of New Mexico in 2010.
Freshman Year: Learning the Ropes
In his first year, Cameron played in 31 games. He was part of a strong group of new players for the Lobo team. The team finished with a good record and played in the NIT tournament.
Sophomore Year: Becoming a Regular Player
During his second year, Cameron played more often. He appeared in 34 games for the Lobos. Another Australian player, Hugh Greenwood, joined the team. The Lobos had a great season, winning their conference tournament. They also made it to the NCAA tournament.
Junior Year: Stepping Up as a Starter
In his junior year (2012–13), Cameron became a starter for the Lobos. The team started strong and reached a high national ranking. Cameron's performance improved a lot when he became a starter. He helped the Lobos win their conference tournament again. He was even named to the all-tournament team. The team finished with an impressive 29–6 record.
Senior Year: A Breakout Season
Cameron had an amazing senior year in 2013–14. He improved his scoring average by a lot, which was one of the biggest jumps in his school's history. He scored 20 points or more in 21 games! The Lobos won their conference tournament for the third year in a row. Cameron was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
He was recognized as an All-American by several sports groups. Cameron was known for his dedication. He would often go to the weight room to lift weights right after games. He also grew taller and stronger during his time at New Mexico. Even after getting offers to play professionally, he chose to finish his degree. He studied Exercise Science and hopes to work in physiotherapy later.
Professional Basketball Career
Chicago Bulls: NBA Experience (2014–2016)
The Chicago Bulls picked Cameron in the 2014 NBA draft. He signed a three-year contract with the team. He made his NBA debut in October 2014. During his two seasons with the Bulls, he played in 36 regular-season games. He also spent some time playing for the Austin Spurs in the NBA Development League. In March 2016, he scored a career-high eight points in a game. In June 2016, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons, but they later waived him.
Brisbane Bullets: Playing at Home (2016–2019)
In July 2016, Cameron signed with his hometown team, the Brisbane Bullets, in Australia's NBL. He faced some tough luck with injuries. He hurt his shoulder while playing for the Australian national team (the Boomers) at the Rio Olympics. Then, in December, he suffered a serious knee injury (ACL tear). This meant he missed the rest of the 2016–17 season.
After missing the entire 2017–18 season due to his knee injury, Cameron re-signed with the Bullets. He returned to play in the 2018–19 season.
Other Teams and Retirement (2019–2022)
In 2019, Cameron played for Rytas Vilnius in Lithuania. The next year, he returned to the NBL, signing with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2020–21 season. He later played for the Adelaide 36ers in the 2021–22 season.
In August 2022, Cameron Bairstow announced his retirement from basketball. He explained that many injuries and the challenges of recovery made him decide to step away from the game.
NBA Career Statistics
Cameron's NBA career statistics are shown below.
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes per Game | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw % | Rebounds per Game | Assists per Game | Steals per Game | Blocks per Game | Points per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Chicago | 18 | 1 | 3.6 | .214 | .000 | .800 | .4 | .1 | .1 | .1 | .6 |
| 2015 | Chicago | 18 | 2 | 5.7 | .325 | .200 | .875 | 1.6 | .3 | .1 | .2 | 1.9 |
| Career | 36 | 3 | 4.6 | .296 | .200 | .846 | 1.0 | .2 | .1 | .1 | 1.2 | |
Playing for Australia: The Boomers
Cameron Bairstow also proudly represented Australia on the national basketball team, known as the Boomers.
In 2012, he joined the Boomers for the Stanković Cup. In 2013, he played well in games against China and at the World University Games, where he won a silver medal. He also played in the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship.
Cameron was part of the Boomers squad for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. In 2016, he was chosen to play for Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Unfortunately, he dislocated his shoulder during a game there.
International Game Statistics
| Tournament | Points per game | Rebounds per game | Assists per game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 FIBA Oceania | 3 | 2 | 1.5 |
| 2014 FIBA World Cup | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 2015 FIBA Oceania | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| 2016 Olympic Games | 5.4 | 4.4 | 0.2 |
Youth Camps and Alumni Games
After his first NBA season, Cameron organized a youth basketball camp. It taught kids skills and basics of the game. Many former New Mexico Lobo players helped coach at the camp.
Cameron also helped arrange a special game with former Lobo players. This game raised money for charity. In 2016, they held another camp and an "all-star" game. This time, former Lobo players played against former New Mexico State Aggie players. Cameron hoped to continue these events in the future.
See also
In Spanish: Cameron Bairstow para niños
