Morgan Park High School basketball champ Cam Burrell now starring with Harlem Globetrotters

A 27-year-old basketball player whose fame began in the Beverly-Morgan Park community on the South Side of Chicago has become a star on the court and beyond.

Cameron Burrell has traveled the world, but his heart and soul are pure Chicago, even though he's a Harlem Globetrotter.

The Globetrotters have been entertaining crowds for more than 100 years. They're famous for their hilarious antics and true talent on the basketball court.

Cam has been on the team for three years and said it's helped him break out of his shell.

"The players on the team, everybody has their own personalities," he said. "They used to call me the silent assassin, just because I was so quiet."

Quiet, yes, but there's a lot going on inside Burrell's 6-foot-7 frame.

Like his three siblings, Cam earned athletic scholarships to college. He's been in the game for as long as he can remember.

"I was a multi-sport athlete. I kind of just got too tall for football," he said. "Basketball was my way to go."

A state champion at Morgan Park High School, Cam continued his winning ways in college, with an eye on the pros, but fate threw him a curveball in 2023 with an offer to play pro ball overseas.

"As I was about to sign the contract, I got a call from a Globetrotters' scout, which was honestly a blessing," Cam said. 

After a tryout with the Globetrotters, he found out he made the team on his birthday.

"When he said he was going to be a Globetrotter, we were like, 'What?' Like, how? I think we were so amazed, and it was a blessing that they actually reached out to him, which solidified everything that he wanted as far as being acknowledged as a premium basketball player," said his mom, Tiffany.

Once a shy kid, Cam said being the Globetrotter nicknamed "Silk" helped him gain confidence.

"Whenever I can, I just get a little dance in; going to prank kids, or tap kids on shoulders and run away. Just do whatever, like throw water on people, eat their popcorn, just all kinds of silly things," he said.

Cam is on the road with the team all over the world six months out of the year.

During the off season, he helps out at Tiffany's restaurants – The SoulFood Lounge in North Lawndale and SoulFood Lounge 2 in Morgan Park.

"I've always loved to cook. I love the idea. I know I always went to sleep watching the Food Network," he he said.

Cam's a heck of a chef, but there's one rule.

"He doesn't like me around when he's cooking," Tiffany said. "He says I talk too much, so he pushes me out of the way, and I just let him do his thing."

Cam's newest thing is modeling. He walked the runway at New York's 2026 Fashion Week.

"I was pretty shy walking my first time, stepping on the stage. It's different than stepping on the basketball court," he said.

Back on the court, the fun is serious business.

"The globetrotters are all about entertainment, family, love, spreading love through the game of basketball, and just bringing different communities together," Cam said.

Those are all important things to Cam.

"I see myself in 20 years from now owning a restaurant, becoming a speaker for my community, being able to impact the youth positively," Cam said. "Being someone who could guide people in the right direction or give them something to look forward to."

Meantime, Tiffany is looking forward to the next big family holiday and letting someone else take over the kitchen.

"I know who's cooking for Thanksgiving now, though. Since he's doing his debut, he's going to cook for Thanksgiving," she said.

"If I'm around, I might," Cam said.

Cam's also building his own clothing line, called Lasting Love. With all he's doing, it seems like just the right name.