Washington Wizards Assistant Coach David Vanterpool on Player Growth, His New Maryland Business & Thoughts on Cam Whitmore, Bub Carrington, KAT & Damian Lillard 

David Vanterpool has built a reputation as one of the most respected minds in basketball. From his playing days overseas to his years on NBA sidelines, his career has been defined by leadership, teaching, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Now as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, Vanterpool brings that same level of commitment to a young roster looking to grow and make its mark in a competitive Eastern Conference.

This summer, however, Vanterpool’s influence extends beyond the Wizards’ bench. He has taken on a new challenge by partnering with Jason Miskiri and Myron Flowers and launching D omain Fitness & Performance in Burtonsville, Maryland. 

A state-of-the-art 32,130 square foot facility, Domain Fitness’ mission is to train with purpose and grow with confidence.It offers personal training, group fitness classes, nutritional coaching, Pilates and much more. Moreover, this new venture for Vanterpool reflects his deep passion for training, health and long-term development. It also serves as a hub for athletes and everyday people looking to better themselves physically and mentally. For Vanterpool, fitness is not just a profession but a lifestyle choice that has shaped his journey.

In our Q&A conversation with Vanterpool, we discussed what inspired him to pursue fitness and how Domain Fitness & Performance came to life. He explained what sets the facility apart, as well as how it connects with his larger mission of mentoring and empowering individuals. The discussion also gave insight into how h is coaching philosophies overlap with his approach to training.

We also shifted to basketball and talked about how this summer feels different compared to previous ones during his time with the Wizards. Vanterpool touched on the value of the team’s summer runs in Los Angeles in the past and the impact those gatherings can have on chemistry and development. As someone with years of coaching experience, he provided a thoughtful perspective on what these off-season windows reveal about a team’s growth.

Finally, Vanterpool shared his excitement for some of the players he will be working with this year. From Bub Carrington entering his second season to Cam Whitmore’s arrival in Washington, he broke down what he sees in their games and how they fit the Wizards’ future. He also gave his thoughts on stars across the league, including Karl-Anthony Towns and D amian Lillard, offering a coach’s eye on their recent journeys.

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What inspired you to launch your new gym? How would you describe what makes it unique?

David Vanterpool: It’s Domain Fitness & Performance. We like to use the vernacular with its basically strength with style. It’s a more high level fitness center — centered around community, based around diversity and based around people. We have all the great equipment, we have a ton of different things to offer as far as that goes — we have incredible training with incredible trainers as far as that goes but, ultimately we just like to feature the fact that we have a diverse group of people and a great community inside of that space and it’s all about work and empowering each other. So that’s a big mantra for us. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What first drew you to fitness as a business venture, and how did the i dea for Domain Fitness & Performance finally come together?

David Vanterpool: Well I mean, I’m heavily into fitness and it has been something that myself and my partners toyed around with for many years, you know? We’ve looked in different spaces and done different things; I actually started a fitness company in 2006 – 2007 with a close friend of mine who is now my partner at DOMAIN. We had different ideas and different things that we kinda did and we always wanted a space to call home. That’s why I say it’s been everlasting, you know what I mean? It’s a lot of things that come into play trying to get investors, trying to get people that actually believe in the vision and believe in the dream and also believe in something that in time will be intangible. And at some point we came together and we were just like, Let’s just take a chance on ourselves and make this happen… and we did and I couldn’t be more prouder of my partners Jason Miskiri and Myron Flowers and their level of resilience and the integrity of how which the y carry themselves is a testament to what that space presents. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: From your perspective, how does this summer with the Wizards feel different compared to the last couple of offseasons, and what kind of progress have you seen?

David Vanterpool:  Well… I knew that we’ve always had intentions of going to the summer. Last summer was very “intentional”. It was a little bit different and tougher because a lot of things were not quite in place at the time. We had just hired our new head coach Brian Keefe and we just hired his staff and went to NBA Summer League and we did have a few things already lined up — our front office let us know that we did a great job with some of our player development models and the way that we want to have to approach that and so, this summer is really a continuation of that, but we leveled up with everything. So the idea is to make sure that we’re always improving in every single area in every single facet and this summer is an example of that. We’ve been able to really implement a lot of things that were probably just theory early and we’ve also been able to learn a lot of new techniques when it comes to coaching and when it comes to skill acquisitions; and it’s be en incredible to see improvement in so many of our young guys. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: The Wizards have become known for their summer runs in Los Angeles. Will those continue this offseason, and what do you think makes them valuable?

David Vanterpool: Oh I’m sure the LA Runs are not going to stop. That’s gonna be time and time again. I know a couple of guys that kinda handle that — Kris Johnson is one that used to handle the LA Runs but my boy Rico Hines really is the spearhead for all the LA Runs, all of the stuff that goes out there; Rico is an incredible, incredible person and my brother that I just love everything about him and he does everything he tries to do and he helps to reach out to a lot of the young people. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: As Bub Carrington enters his second year with the Wizards, h ow excited are you to see his growth both on and off the court?

David Vanterpool:  Very excited and I feel that to see him growing as a young man, above everything holds a different palace in my heart being that I know his family and I’ve always known his family very well and with his dad Rest In Peace was always very proud of him and proud of the young man that he was becoming aside from the basketball prowess, you know? It’s always been about being a great human being, being a great person and with that, Bub carries that toughness, he carries that resilience, he carries that work ethic going to the court every time he steps on  the floor. And the biggest thing about Bub is that he’s a competitor. So the fact that he’s gonna compete as hard as he possibly can in every single situation and you match that with the skill level, good things are gonna happen. So he’s never gonna quit and I’m pr oud of him watching him and growing into the young man he is.  

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Before Cam Whitmore joined the Wizards, how much did you know about him, and what stood out to you about his game and background?

David Vanterpool: So my knowledge of him actually goes back a little bit further. He got drafted from Villanova and my daughter who is from the area at 22 years old and has known him from this area growing up and the first thing I did was try to look up some things and calling some people that I knew from Spalding [Maryland] to find out more about him and of course this area being as small and tight knit that it is especially from an athletic and basketball community, I know the type of people that he’s very, very close with and I know some of his family members so, I’ve always followed him. But watching him — watching him actually in the last Summer League he absolutely DESTROYED everything and everybody in front of him was amazing to me and I really expected him to get a major opportunity in Houston. That didn’t work out probably the way they had hoped but, we get rewarded for that. We get a phenomenal person, we get a phenomenal athlete, we get a high level player that has played minutes in this league and he’s absolutely fearless. He ain’t scared of nobody, du de! If somebody steps in front of him, they’d better look out! 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: When you look at Cam Whitmore’s skill set, is there anyone past or present in the NBA that he reminds you of?

David Vanterpool: I don’t want to start throwing so many names that I know they’ve compared him to. But I’ll say this: He is one of the most physical offensive players that you’ll have to deal with, you know? His physicality is ridiculous. Also one of the more athletic players at that size; I don’t know how he get that size up in the air that high, and when you’re able to do some of those type of things get to the basket at will; get hammered and still finish through contact and then spread the floor shooting with the ball? I mean, that’s a win-win. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Watching Karl-Anthony Towns in this past year’s playoffs, what stood out to you about his game and development?

David Vanterpool: Well first of all, his newfound soiree into the playoffs and into that area; a lot of times when you see that you’re kind of not sure what to expect and I thought especially this season he met things head on — I mean, he stepped up in EVERY turn. I mean… he played like a star is supposed to play and KAT and I have had discussions many years ago and I will share this because we talked about what a superstar is and one of things I said to him is, I get it and I don’t view you as a superstar yet because superstars play in May… he’s a superstar [now]. He’s playing in May and he’s getting it done. So I’m so proud of him and I’m proud of his maturation in his game — KAT is one of the most talented players that I’ve been around. Just pure talent, pure ability and I’m happy that he’s been able to reach a high level of success. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How special is it to see Damian Lillard back in a Portland Trailblazers unif orm, and what does his return mean to him on and off the court?

David Vanterpool:  Oh man! It’s the best! What did it for me was seeing Dame getting an opportunity to be around family and familiarity like his kids, his mom… his family just being up there — I heard his dad will be up here now on a consistent basis, you know? It’s home for him and Dame made it clear even when he moved to Milwaukee with the team he still had a house up there in Portland because that’s where he had his roots and I know how much that it means to him to be back there and that is enough for me. The fact that he wants to be there where he wants to be and he’s in a space where he wants to be and come back from that Achilles injury that people don’t believe that he might not be able to do at that age. I don’t think that’s ever a thought for him. I know it’s not. I knew what he thought exactly when it happened and I had this conversation and I don’t expect anything less than that. So everyone’s expecting him to c ome back as the Damian Lillard that they always knew was him.  

Speaking with David Vanterpool highlights the balance between building something new and continuing to contribute to the game he loves. His reflections on Domain Fitness & Performance show how personal and meaningful this project is for him. It represents not just a business venture but an extension of his values: discipline, preparation, and growth.

At the same time, Vanterpool remains deeply connected to the Wizards’ day-to-day progress. His observations on the team’s summer runs and the development of young players like Bub Carrington and Cam Whitmore show that he has his finger on the pulse of what matters most for Washington’s future. His role on the bench is as much about mentorship as it is about strategy, and that shines through in the way he speaks about the team.

His perspective on the broader NBA landscape adds another layer to his insight. Whether discussing Karl-Anthony Towns’ playoff performance or reflecting on the significance of Damian Lillard wearing a Portland uniform again, Vanterpool demonstrates his respect for the game and the players who shape it. These viewpoints carry weight because they come from s omeone who has both coached and competed at the highest levels.

What stands out most is the consistency across his endeavors. Whether he is on the sideline guiding young talent, in the gym helping someone unlock their potential, or sharing his perspective on established stars, Vanterpool approaches each role with focus and care. That consistency has defined his career and continues to be a hallmark of who he is.

As the Wizards look ahead to a new season and Domain Fitness & Performance begins its journey in Maryland, Vanterpool’s impact will be felt on multiple fronts. He remains a teacher, a motivator, and a leader who understands that the path to growth is never confined to one arena. For him, basketball and fitness are different expressions of the same mission: helping people reach their fullest potential.