30 Facts About Steven Adams

1.

Steven Funaki Adams was born on 20 July 1993 and is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.

2.

Steven Adams was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft.

3.

Steven Adams was the Thunder's primary starting center for six consecutive seasons.

4.

In November 2020, after seven years in Oklahoma City, Steven Adams was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

5.

Steven Adams was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, to a Tongan mother and an English father.

6.

Two of his half-sisters are athletes: Dame Valerie Steven Adams is a dual Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion shot-putter and Lisa Steven Adams is a para athlete who has won gold at the Paralympics in shot-put.

7.

Sid Adams was in his sixties when his youngest child Steven was born, and Sid died in 2006 of stomach cancer.

8.

Steven Adams has identified his father's death as one of the defining events of his life.

9.

Warren took responsibility for Steven Adams and introduced him to Wellington basketball legend Kenny McFadden.

10.

The only rule McFadden had for Steven Adams was that he had to attend school every day if he wanted to play basketball.

11.

On 2 April 2013, Steven Adams declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

12.

In 2011, Steven Adams played for the Wellington Saints of the National Basketball League.

13.

Steven Adams went unpaid by the Saints in order to keep his college eligibility.

14.

Steven Adams was named the New Zealand NBL Rookie of the Year and helped the Saints win the championship.

15.

On 27 June 2013, Steven Adams was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, becoming the second New Zealander to be selected in the first round of an NBA draft.

16.

Steven Adams became the first player out of Pittsburgh to be selected in the first round since 1999 when Vonteego Cummings was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 26th overall pick.

17.

Steven Adams failed to surpass either mark for the rest of the regular season.

18.

Steven Adams appeared in 81 games and averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.70 blocks in 14.8 minutes.

19.

In Game 6 of the Thunder's second round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Steven Adams recorded 10 points and a season-high 11 rebounds.

20.

In Game 2 of the Thunder's second-round playoff series against the Spurs, Steven Adams recorded 12 points and 17 rebounds.

21.

Steven Adams helped the Thunder advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years, where in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, he recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds.

22.

In Game 3, Steven Adams was kicked in the testes by Draymond Green, who maintained that it was inadvertent.

23.

On 31 October 2016, Steven Adams signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Thunder.

24.

Steven Adams joined Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka as the only Thunder players with at least 3,000 career points and 350 career blocks.

25.

On 24 November 2020, Steven Adams was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

26.

On 7 August 2021, Steven Adams was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

27.

On 2 October 2022, Steven Adams signed a two-year, $25.2 million contract extension with the Grizzlies.

28.

Steven Adams enjoys playing video games; he says Dota 2 and Smite are his favourites.

29.

Steven Adams often posted his Fortnite and online Chess wins on Instagram between 2018 and 2020.

30.

Steven Adams is generally well respected around the league for his sense of humour, down to earth personality and humility.