Steven Adams

Who is Steven Adams?

Steven Funaki Adams, better known as Steven Adams, is a New Zealand professional basketball player who competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Steven Adams had only one NBL season under his belt in New Zealand, he helped the Wellington Saints win the championship in 2011. He is now an NBA center for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Steven is a huge guy that stands about seven feet tall and has strong stats in all areas of the game.

His physical strength allows him to effortlessly exceed his opponents.

Furthermore, for such a great player, he has an incredible pace.

With his steady rebounds and blocks, the New Zealand native has gained a lot of fans over the years.

After a long absence, the former Thunder center returned to Oklahoma’s court in March 2022 to play for his new squad.

More Facts About Steven Adams

Childhood, Family, and Education

Steven Adams was born on July 20, 1993, in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Sid Adams, his father, was an Englishman who had previously served in the Royal Navy.

Sid and Steven’s mother married after Sid moved to New Zealand.

His father had 18 offspring from five different women.

So Adam came from a large family, with 17 siblings.

Lisa and Valerie, his two siblings, are both world-class athletes.

He was born and raised in Rotorua, where he attended Rotorua Lakes High School and received his early education.

He had fond memories of his brothers because he had been athletic and playful since childhood.

That, however, was only temporary. Unfortunately, Steven’s father died of stomach cancer when he was 13 years old, which devastated him.

As a result, he began to skip courses and became agitated.

With so many children and no father to look after, his mother, too, found it difficult to raise them.

As a result, Steven began to spend more time on the streets of Rotorua rather than at home.

However, his elder brother, Warren, had already relocated to Wellington and was working there at the time.

He took his little brother with him since he felt terrible for him.

Steven subsequently enrolled at Scots College in Wellington and began his studies there.

Furthermore, his brother forced him to attend the basketball academy headed by former professional player Kenny McFadden.

Adams was taller than everyone else in his family, even as a child. As a result, he excelled in the academy and quickly became McPhaden’s favorite.

Along with basketball practice, he attended classes on a regular basis and graduated from Scotts College in 2011.

Steven Adams | Work

Pre-NBA Profession

Many basketball fans were aware of his basketball skills when he was still in the basketball academy in Wellington.

So they were very certain he’d make it to the professional level.

However, he had already developed an interest in playing in the NBA, the world’s largest basketball league.

However, he first had to qualify for the NCAA, which he achieved in December 2011.

However, the Wellington Saints of the NBL wanted him to play for them in the meanwhile.

He played one season for free in order to remain eligible to compete in the NCAA tournament in America.

To everyone’s astonishment, he helped the Saints win the NBL championship that year.

He eventually departed New Zealand for the United States in 2011.

He then attended the Notre Dame Preparatory School in Massachusetts. Adams only lasted for a semester.

After all, he admitted to being eligible to attend a university later in order to compete in the NCAA tournament.

He began playing for Pittsburgh’s college team, the Pittsburgh Panthers, in 2012.

He stayed for a year before declaring for the NBA draft in 2013.

He started all 32 games he played in and finished the season with an average of 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Furthermore, at the end of his season, he was named to the Big East All-Rookie Team and the Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year.

Basketball Career

Steven was selected as the 12th pick in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With that selection, Adams became the first Kiwi player to be drafted in the first round of the draft.

On July 12, 2013, he signed his rookie scale deal with the club.

He made his Thunders debut two months later against the Utah Jazz, recording two points and three rebounds in 18 minutes.

Steven stayed in shape during his debut season, appearing in all 81 games.

He did not score many points on his stats table, but he made up for it with regular blocks and rebounds.

In his first NBA season, he averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

The New Zealand native gradually refined his game and performed better in subsequent seasons.

In his second season, he averaged more than 7.0 points and rebounds each game.

He had comparable results in previous seasons as well.

Furthermore, he improved his shooting talents, and he now averages more than 10.0 points per game in his fourth season.

Because team management was impressed with Steven’s progress and performance, he stayed with the Thunder for seven NBA seasons.

He assisted them in reaching six playoffs out of seven.

He was subsequently traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020.

He was with the team for one season and had an exceptional rebounding record of 8.9 per game.

After the 2020-21 season, the Pelicans opted to trade him, and he was eventually traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on August 7, 2021.

He has already appeared in over 60 games for the Grizzlies in the 2021-22 season, averaging over 9.0 rebounds per game.

Steven Adams | Awards & Recognition

Among his honors and achievements are:

Second Team NBA All-Rookie (2014)

Preseason Rookie of the Year in the Big East (2013)

Rookie of the Year in the National Basketball League (2011)

National Basketball League champion (2011)

All-Rookie Team of the Big East (2013)

Steven Adams’s Salary and Earnings

Steven Adams, is one of the Grizzlies’ highest-paid players, with an estimated net worth of $20 to $25 million.

However, some websites claim it is worth more than $25 million.

The league games are the principal source of income for overseas players.

When he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2013, he received approximately $2 million for his rookie season.

The club paid him a comparable sum in regular-season bonuses before his income skyrocketed in the 2017-18 season.

The team decided to offer him huge money after he performed extraordinarily well in all areas of the sport the previous season.

Except for the current season, he has always been offered contracts worth $25 million.

He is currently a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, where he earns roughly $17 million each year.

Similarly, he has amassed riches of up to $111 million from his NBA career so far.

He also receives money from brand endorsements and television advertising.

Adidas and Powerade are among the companies that have sponsored him.

Exterior Design

Steven, the youngest of 18 children, was born on July 20, 1993, and as of that date, he is

His astrological sign is Cancer.

In terms of physical characteristics, he is extremely tall, standing at 2.11 meters (6 feet 11 inches).

His brothers are nearly 6 feet 9 inches tall, and his sisters are approximately 6 feet tall.

Adams’ father, Sid, was also a tall man, therefore they must have gotten their height from him.

Similarly, he weighs about 265 pounds (120 kg).

In addition, the athlete has dark brown hair and eyes.

He normally wears his hair long and has a bushy beard.

Because he resembles the famous actor Jason Momoa in appearance, many people refer to him as the NBA’s Aquaman.

He does, however, go by other aliases, such as Kid Kiwi, Lord Adams, and so on.

The New Zealand sportsman has a tattoo that runs from his right arm to his chest.

He inked it with a Polynesian motif to express his connection to his mother’s culture.

Personal Life of Steven Adams

Steven Adams has many devoted admirers who have been following him for many years.

He has earned them not just for his outstanding gameplay, but also for his good appearance.

As a result, the footballer receives several proposals from his female followers.

However, he has not dated in recent years and is currently single.

His name, however, had already been associated with two distinct girls.

Kayla Kiriau, who is from New Zealand, was the first.

During his scholastic years, she also played basketball for Sheridan College in Wyoming.

Around 2014, they were seen on social media together.

Following that, his name became associated with another New Zealand girl named Ezel Kokcu.

That was in 2017, but he hasn’t shown since.

He is content with his job life and is content with his single status.

His autobiography, My Life, My Fights, however, provides a detailed account of his life.

It was released in 2018.

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Presence on Social Media

@stevenadams on Instagram

@RealStevenAdams on Twitter

Steven Adams on Facebook (Official fan page)