Steven Funaki Paea He Ofa Ki Loa Adams (born 20 July 1993) is a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). After playing one season with the Wellington Saints, in 2011, Adams moved to the United States in 2012 to play

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. Adams was selected by the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

with the 12th overall pick in the

2013 NBA draft The 2013 NBA draft was held on June 27, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including internation ...

. He was the Thunder's primary starting center for six consecutive seasons. In November 2020, after seven years in Oklahoma City, Adams was traded to the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. In August 2021, he was dealt to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

where he played for 2 1/2 seasons before being traded to the Rockets in 2024.

Early life

Steven Adams was born in

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...

, New Zealand, to a Tongan mother and an English father. His father, Sid Adams, was from

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

and served in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. He settled in New Zealand where he fathered 18 children with five women. Sid Adams stood tall, and his children inherited his height: Steven Adams' brothers average tall, while his sisters average . Two of his half-sisters are athletes: Dame Valerie Adams is a dual Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion shot-putter and Lisa Adams is a para athlete who has won gold at the Paralympics in shot-put. His brothers, Warren and Sid Jr., had careers in the New Zealand National Basketball League. His sister, Gabriella Adams-Gavet, has played basketball for the New Zealand national team. Sid Adams was in his sixties when his youngest child Steven was born, and Sid died of stomach cancer when Steven was 13. Adams has identified his father's death as one of the defining events of his life. In a 2012 interview, Adams recalled:

When I lost my dad, that was a big hit for me. I didn't have that parental guidance, and I kind of took advantage of it because I was a stupid idiot. I decided not to go to school a couple of times, go when I felt like it. I always lied to my brothers and sisters. They'd ask: 'Are you going to school?' I'd say 'yeah'. They eventually found out.

After the death of his father, Blossom Cameron rescued him from the streets of Rotorua being given legal guardianship and took him to

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

. Blossom Cameron took responsibility for Adams and introduced him to Wellington basketball legend Kenny McFadden. McFadden accepted Adams into his basketball academy, and Blossom Cameron enrolled him in Scots College. The only rule McFadden had for Adams was that he had to attend school every day if he wanted to play basketball. While there was pressure for Adams to turn professional straight out of high school because it was believed he would never be able to qualify for the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

, Adams did well at Scots College and passed through the NCAA Clearinghouse after graduating from Scots in December 2011.

Preparatory school and college

After graduating from Scots College in December 2011, Adams enrolled at Notre Dame Preparatory School, a well-known basketball prep school in

Fitchburg, Massachusetts Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Fitchburg State University is located here. History ...

, for one semester. It was arranged only so he could acclimate himself to American basketball before enrolling at

in June 2012. In his lone season at Pittsburgh, Adams was named the

Big East The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...

Preseason Rookie of the Year and earned Big East All-Rookie Team honours. He started all 32 games during the 2012–13 season and averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. On 2 April 2013, Adams declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

Professional career

Wellington Saints (2011)

In 2011, Adams played for the Wellington Saints of the National Basketball League. He went unpaid by the Saints in order to keep his college eligibility. He was named the New Zealand NBL Rookie of the Year and helped the Saints win the championship. In 15 games for the Saints, he averaged 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2013–2020)

2013–16: early years

On 27 June 2013, Adams was selected with the 12th overall pick in the

by the

, becoming just the second New Zealander to be selected in the NBA draft and the first New Zealander to be selected in the first round. He also became the first player out of Pittsburgh to be selected in the first round since

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

when Vonteego Cummings was selected by the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

with the 26th overall pick. On 12 July 2013, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Thunder. In his NBA debut on 30 October 2013, Adams recorded two points, three rebounds, one assist and three fouls in 18½ minutes off the bench against the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

. On 8 November, in just his fifth NBA game, Adams recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 119–110 win over the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. He failed to surpass either mark for the rest of the regular season. He appeared in 81 games (20 starts) and averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds (9th among NBA rookies) and 0.70 blocks (9th among NBA rookies) in 14.8 minutes. In game 6 of the Thunder's second-round playoff series against the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

, Adams recorded 10 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. The Thunder reached the Western Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

in six games. At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season, Adams earned

NBA All-Rookie Second Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

honours. On 16 November 2014, Adams recorded a career-high six blocks in a 69–65 loss to the

. On 25 December 2014, he recorded a season-high 16 points and a then-career-high 15 rebounds in a 114–106 win over the

. On 21 January 2015, he recorded a career-high 20 rebounds in a 105–103 overtime win over the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. Adams missed 11 straight games over February and March with a broken ring finger on his right hand. He scored a season-high 16 points three times during the 2014–15 season. On 10 January 2016, Adams tied his career high of 17 points in a 115–110 loss to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

. On 12 April 2016, in the Thunder's regular-season finale, Adams had another 17-point performance in a 102–98 loss to the

. In game 2 of the Thunder's second-round playoff series against the Spurs, Adams recorded 12 points and 17 rebounds. In game 4, he scored 16 points. 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 The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

, he recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds. In game 3, Adams was kicked in the

testes A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of androgens, primarily testosterone. The ...

Draymond Green Draymond Jamal Green (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the Power forward (basketball), power forward pos ...

, who maintained that it was inadvertent. Despite going up 3–1 in the series, the Thunder were defeated in seven games by the Warriors.

2016–20: increase in production

On 31 October 2016, Adams signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Thunder. On 22 November 2016, Adams scored a career-high 20 points in a 111–109 loss to the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

. He surpassed that mark on 9 December 2016, scoring 24 points in a 102–99 loss to the

. His 17 points in the first half were a career high for a half. On 1 December 2017, Adams scored a career-high 27 points on perfect shooting from the field and the free throw line to help the Thunder beat the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

111–107. On 2 February 2018, he had 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 114–100 loss to the

, reaching 3,000 career points. He joined

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...

and Serge Ibaka as the only Thunder players with at least 3,000 career points and 350 career blocks. On 13 February 2018, Adams recorded 22 points and 17 rebounds in a 120–112 loss to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. Twelve of his 17 rebounds against the Cavaliers were offensive, becoming the first ever Thunder player to grab 12 offensive rebounds in a game. In game 6 of the Thunder's first-round playoff series against the

, Adams recorded 19 points and 16 rebounds in a 96–91 loss, as the Thunder bowed out of the playoffs with a 4–2 defeat. On 17 November 2018, Adams scored 26 points in a 110–100 win over the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

. On 14 December, he recorded 26 points and 14 rebounds in a 109–98 loss to the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. On 19 December, he recorded 20 points and a career-high 23 rebounds in a 132–113 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

. On 3 March 2019, he recorded 13 points and 22 rebounds in a 99–95 win over the

New Orleans Pelicans (2020–2021)

On 24 November 2020, Adams was traded to the

. As part of the deal, he signed a two-year, $35 million extension with the Pelicans. On 29 January 2021, Adams scored only 4 points, but grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds in a 131–126 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. On 4 March, Adams scored a season-high 15 points in a 103–93 loss to the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

Memphis Grizzlies (2021–2024)

On 7 August 2021, Adams was traded to the

. On 23 October, Adams scored a season-high 17 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and recorded 5 assists in a 120–114 win over the

. On 6 December, Adams helped lead the Grizzlies to a fifth straight win while tying his season high with 17 points scored, alongside grabbing 16 rebounds, in a 105–90 victory over the

. On 26 February 2022, Adams scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high 21 rebounds, during a 116–110 win against the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

. On 2 October 2022, Adams signed a two-year, $25.2 million contract extension with the Grizzlies. On 18 January 2023, he scored a game-winning tip-in to defeat the

, 115–114. On 22 January, Adams suffered a right knee injury during a 112–110 loss to the

. Two days later, the Grizzlies announced that he was diagnosed with a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) sprain in his right knee and would be sidelined for three-to-five weeks. On 9 March, the Grizzlies announced that Adams had received a stem cell injection the day before and would be re-evaluated in four weeks, ending his regular-season run. His ongoing recovery caused him to miss the playoffs; the second-seeded Grizzlies were eliminated by the seventh-seeded Lakers in the first round, two games to four. Adams missed the entire

2023–24 NBA season The 2023–24 NBA season was the 78th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 24, 2023, and ended on April 14, 2024. The NBA held their first-ever in-season tournament from November 3 to December ...

as he underwent surgery on his PCL, which had not responded to non-operative rehabilitation.

Houston Rockets (2024–present)

On February 1, 2024, Adams was traded to the

in exchange for Victor Oladipo and three future second-round picks. On October 28, 2024, Adams made his Rockets debut putting up 6 points and three rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench in a 106-101 win against the

. On January 5, 2025, after fully recovering from PCL surgery, Adams recorded a near double-double with 8 points, 9 rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal in 17 minutes of action off the bench in a 119–115 win against the

. On January 22, 2025, Adams put up three points, a season-high 11 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 19 minutes off the bench in a 109–108 win against the

. On January 30, 2025, Adams made his first start of the season recording a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists in a 120–119 loss against the

. On May 2, 2025, during the first round of the playoffs, Adams recorded 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks in a 115–107 Game 6 win against the

. The Rockets would go on to lose the series in seven games.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

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, 70 , , 67 , , 25.3 , , .544 , , .000 , , .502 , , 7.5 , , .9 , , .5 , , 1.2 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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, 80 , , 80 , , 29.9 , , .571 , , .000 , , .611 , , 7.7 , , 1.1 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 76 , , 32.7 , , .629 , , .000 , , .559 , , 9.0 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 33.4 , , .595 , , .000 , , .500 , , 9.5 , , 1.6 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 63 , , 63 , , 26.7 , , .592 , , .333 , , .582 , , 9.3 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , 1.1 , , 10.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, 58 , , 58 , , 27.7 , , .614 , , .000 , , .444 , , 8.9 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .7 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Memphis , 76 , , 75 , , 26.3 , , .547 , , .000 , , .543 , , 10.0 , , 3.4 , , .9 , , .8 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Memphis , 42 , , 42 , , 27.0 , , .597 , , .000 , , .364 , , 11.5 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, 58 , , 3 , , 13.7 , , .545 , , .000 , , .462 , , 5.6 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .5 , , 3.9 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan= "2" style="text-align:center;", Career , 764 , , 644 , , 25.8 , , .586 , , .059 , , .533 , , 8.0 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , .9 , , 8.8

Playoffs

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2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

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, 18 , , 0 , , 18.4 , , .689 , , — , , .348 , , 4.1 , , .2 , , .1 , , 1.3 , , 3.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

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, 18 , , 18 , , 30.7 , , .613 , , .000 , , .630 , , 9.5 , , .7 , , .5 , , .8 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

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, 5 , , 5 , , 31.4 , , .643 , , — , , .364 , , 6.8 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.8 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

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, 6 , , 6 , , 33.4 , , .587 , , — , , .692 , , 7.5 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .7 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 5 , , 5 , , 31.8 , , .667 , , .000 , , .375 , , 7.2 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

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, 7 , , 7 , , 30.0 , , .596 , , .000 , , .450 , , 11.6 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , .3 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, style="text-align:left;", Memphis , 7 , , 5 , , 16.3 , , .429 , , — , , .545 , , 6.4 , , 2.1 , , .1 , , .1 , , 3.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 7 , , 0 , , 22.1 , , .600 , , — , , .533 , , 6.6 , , .6 , , .4 , , 1.1 , , 5.7 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan= "2" style="text-align:center;", Career , 73 , , 46 , , 25.7 , , .614 , , .000 , , .534 , , 7.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , .9 , , 7.5

College statistics

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, 32, , 32, , 23.4, , .571, , .000, , .443, , 6.3, , 0.6, , 0.7, , 2.0, , 7.2

Personal life

Adams enjoys playing

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s; he says ''

Dota 2 ''Dota 2'' is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve Corporation, Valve. The game is a sequel to ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a community-created Mod (video gaming), mod for Blizzard Entertainment's ''War ...

'' and '' Smite'' are his favourites. He also often posted his '' Fortnite'' and

online chess Online chess is chess that is played over the Internet, allowing players to play against each other. This was first done asynchronously through PLATO and email in the 1970s. In 1992, the Internet Chess Server facilitated live online play via t ...

wins on

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

between 2018 and 2020. In 2018, his autobiography ''Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight'' was released, co-written by childhood friend and journalist

Madeleine Chapman Madeleine Elsie Chapman (born 16 March 1994) is a New Zealand editor, journalist and author, and the current editor of ''The Spinoff'' and former editor of ''North & South (New Zealand magazine), North & South''. Chapman co-wrote the autobiograp ...

. Adams is generally well respected around the league for his sense of humour, down-to-earth personality and humility. On 14 December 2018, playing against the

he received praise for catching his opponent

Mason Plumlee Mason Alexander Plumlee (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily plays the forward and center positions. As a freshman in 2009–10, he was ...

after Plumlee jumped to contest a layup and fell over Adams. Despite having an uncontested shot, Adams chose to drop the ball and catch Plumlee, preventing a serious injury. This moment was recalled by netizens on 12 March 2025, when playing against the

Adams and Plumlee were both ejected after Adams was elbowed by Plumlee, triggering a scuffle. An interview with Adams was featured in the 2022 documentary film '' Dame Valerie Adams: More than Gold'', where he discusses the childhood of his sister, Olympic shot putter Valerie Adams.

References

External links

Pittsburgh Panthers bio"Steven Adams in 'The Kiwi Way' – how a boy from Rotorua made it to the NBA"
at stuff.co.nz
"Steven Adams’ former coach discusses his unique path to the NBA"
at foxsports.com
"Steven Adams is a big man from a big family, and he’s making a huge impression on the NBA"
at dailytelegraph.com.au {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Steven 1993 births Living people Centers (basketball) Houston Rockets players Memphis Grizzlies players NBA players from New Zealand New Orleans Pelicans players New Zealand men's basketball players New Zealand expatriate basketball people in the United States New Zealand people of English descent New Zealand sportspeople of Tongan descent Oklahoma City Thunder draft picks Oklahoma City Thunder players People educated at Rotorua Lakes High School People educated at Scots College, Wellington Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball players Sportspeople from Rotorua Basketball players from Wellington City Wellington Saints players 21st-century New Zealand sportsmen

Early life

Preparatory school and college

Professional career

Wellington Saints (2011)

Oklahoma City Thunder (2013–2020)

2013–16: early years

2016–20: increase in production

New Orleans Pelicans (2020–2021)

Memphis Grizzlies (2021–2024)

Houston Rockets (2024–present)

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College statistics

Personal life

See also

References

External links