Cameron Hildreth knows how long he has been bouncing a basketball at Worthing Leisure Centre.

“Forever,” he replies when asked about growing up in a hoops family.

The 17-year-old son of former Worthing Thunder and Brighton Bears point guard Daniel, pictured, has made the breakthrough into the senior leagues this season.

The next step is the college game in the United States and then – who knows?

Hildreth was taken into Thunder’s senior squad this term and has England and Great Britain honours in the youth ranks.

Averages of 17 points and 30 minutes per game in NBL division one suggest he has made the step up pretty smoothly.

He told The Argus: “It is an awesome experience playing in front of all these people here.

“It is not everyone who gets an opportunity to do this, especially for me to be able to play quite a decent amount of minutes at a young age.

The Argus:

“I’ve been playing basketball forever. The first thing I can really remember is we went away to a game where Dad (pictured above) was playing and I cracked my head open!

“Watching him play, he was a very good defender so I have always looked up to him in that way. I have always wanted to be a basketball player.

“I haven’t really had a choice to be honest!”

Everyone at Thunder remembers a tiny Cameron at courtside but he does not really recall those days.

He said: “It was just, go to another basketball game with Dad.

“But I’m sure I watched some of it. Basketball is so interesting to me.”

Hildreth junior will be on the right lines if he shows the same defensive intensity and will to win as his dad.

Where he scores more highly is in his offensive game and in the one thing coaches admit they can’t teach — height.

Dad was listed at 6ft 1in. Cameron, who is 6ft 4in, admitted: “I don’t know where my height has come from!

“I don’t know anyone in the family who is really tall. I am really lucky.”

It was notable in the BBL Trophy tie against Solent last Saturday how the ball was being increasingly put in his hands as his side staged a comeback. He had been a peripheral figure coming off the bench in the first half but he ran the show in the second.

He said: “I am usually known as a scorer which means I play on the wing so I am able to develop my game from there as soon as the ball is ball brought up the floor.

“However, if I feel I am on a roll and playing pretty well, I will probably bring the ball up the floor so more stuff goes through me.

“At the beginning of the season I was a bit nervous and not sure how to approach it.

“As the season has gone on, I have started to realise I am capable of playing in this league, which is pleasing.

“It is nice to have that feeling that I am able to play division one men’s basketball at 17, which is awesome.”

Daniel Hildreth worked with would-be NBA champion coach Nick Nurse at Brighton and played three games alongside Dennis Rodman.

His son would love to get to the big league.

He said: “My plan is to go to the States the year after next.

“I have a couple of offers and interest and it is pretty exciting. I am looking forward to it.

“I’m at Holy Trinity in Crawley which also has a league team, where I am playing as well. We are currently 16-0 so we are doing pretty well.

“Obviously, the dream is to go all the way. But I want basketball to be my job so wherever it takes me, I’ll be happy with it.

“Dad comes to the games. He watches everything.

“He is the coach for my National League team so he is there all the time.

“He wants me to fulfil my dream which is to go to the States and see where it takes me.

“When I was younger I used to play football.

“I was at a decent level, playing for Portsmouth and stuff.

“When I was 11 years old, I had to make a decision and I chose basketball.”

Thunder aim to get their play-off bid back on track tonight when they host Thames Valley Cavaliers (7.30pm).