Steven Adams facts for kids
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Adams with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021
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| No. 12 – Houston Rockets | |
|---|---|
| Center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 20 July 1993 Rotorua, New Zealand |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Pittsburgh (2012–2013) |
| NBA Draft | 2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall |
| Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Pro career | 2013–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2011 | Wellington Saints |
| 2013–2020 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2020–2021 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2021–2024 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2024–present | Houston Rockets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Steven Adams is a professional basketball player from New Zealand. He was born on July 20, 1993. He plays as a center for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Before joining the NBA, Steven played for the Wellington Saints in New Zealand in 2011. In 2012, he moved to the United States to play college basketball for the University of Pittsburgh. The Oklahoma City Thunder picked him 12th overall in the 2013 NBA draft. He was their main starting center for six years. Later, he played for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Steven's Early Life
Steven Adams was born in Rotorua, New Zealand. His mother was from Tonga, and his father was English. His father, Sid Adams, was very tall, standing at 6 feet 11 inches. Steven and his 17 brothers and sisters inherited this height. His brothers average 6 feet 9 inches tall. His sisters average 6 feet tall.
Some of his half-sisters are famous athletes. Dame Valerie Adams is an Olympic gold medalist and world champion in shot-put. Lisa Adams is a para-athlete who won gold in shot-put at the Paralympics. Steven's brothers, Warren and Sid Jr., played in the New Zealand National Basketball League. His sister, Gabriella Adams-Gavet, played for the New Zealand national team.
Steven's father passed away from stomach cancer when Steven was 13. This was a very difficult time for him. He said he struggled without his father's guidance. He sometimes skipped school and lied to his family.
After his father's death, a woman named Blossom Cameron helped Steven. She became his legal guardian and took him to Wellington. She introduced him to Kenny McFadden, a basketball coach. Steven joined McFadden's basketball academy. He also enrolled at Scots College. The only rule was that Steven had to attend school every day to play basketball. Steven did well at Scots College. He graduated in December 2011.
High School and College Basketball
After graduating from Scots College, Steven went to Notre Dame Preparatory School. This school in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, helped him get used to American basketball. He stayed there for one semester. Then, in June 2012, he started at the University of Pittsburgh.
Steven played one season for Pittsburgh. He was named the Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year. He also made the Big East All-Rookie Team. He started all 32 games during the 2012–13 season. He averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. On April 2, 2013, Steven decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his last three years of college basketball.
Steven's Pro Basketball Journey
Wellington Saints (2011)
In 2011, Steven played for the Wellington Saints in New Zealand. He did not get paid by the team. This was so he could keep his college eligibility. He was named the New Zealand NBL Rookie of the Year. He also helped the Saints win the championship. In 15 games, he averaged 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2013–2020)
Starting in the NBA (2013–2016)
On June 27, 2013, the Oklahoma City Thunder picked Steven Adams 12th overall in the 2013 NBA draft. He was only the second New Zealander to be drafted into the NBA. On July 12, 2013, he signed his first contract with the Thunder. In his first NBA game on October 30, 2013, he scored two points and grabbed three rebounds. On November 8, in only his fifth NBA game, Steven scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds. He played in 81 games and averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds.
In the playoffs, the Thunder reached the Western Conference Finals. They lost to the San Antonio Spurs. After his first season, Steven was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
On November 16, 2014, Steven blocked a career-high six shots against the Houston Rockets. On December 25, 2014, he scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds. On January 21, 2015, he had a career-high 20 rebounds against the Washington Wizards. He missed 11 games in February and March due to a broken finger.
On January 10, 2016, Steven scored 17 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. He scored 17 points again in the last regular season game on April 12, 2016. In the playoffs, he helped the Thunder reach the Western Conference Finals again. In Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, he had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Thunder were up 3-1 in the series but lost in seven games.
Growing as a Player (2016–2020)
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On October 31, 2016, Steven Adams signed a new four-year contract with the Thunder. On November 22, 2016, he scored a career-high 20 points. He topped that on December 9, 2016, scoring 24 points against the Houston Rockets.
On December 1, 2017, Steven scored a career-high 27 points. He made all his shots from the field and the free-throw line. On February 2, 2018, he reached 3,000 career points. He had 23 points and 12 rebounds in that game. On February 13, 2018, Steven had 22 points and 17 rebounds. Twelve of his 17 rebounds were offensive rebounds, which was a Thunder record. In the playoffs, the Thunder lost to the Utah Jazz.
On November 17, 2018, Steven scored 26 points against the Phoenix Suns. On December 19, he had 20 points and a career-high 23 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings. On March 3, 2019, he grabbed 22 rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies.
New Orleans Pelicans (2020–2021)
On November 24, 2020, Steven was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He signed a two-year contract extension with them. On January 29, 2021, he grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks. On March 4, he scored a season-high 15 points against the Miami Heat.
Memphis Grizzlies (2021–2024)
On August 7, 2021, Steven was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. On October 23, he scored a season-high 17 points and had 9 rebounds. On December 6, he tied his season high with 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. On February 26, 2022, Steven had 12 points and a season-high 21 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls.
On October 2, 2022, Steven signed another two-year contract extension with the Grizzlies. On January 18, 2023, he made a game-winning tip-in shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On January 22, Steven hurt his right knee. He was diagnosed with a PCL sprain and missed the rest of the season and the playoffs. He missed the entire 2023–24 NBA season because his knee needed surgery.
Houston Rockets (2024–present)
On August 1, 2024, Steven Adams was traded to the Houston Rockets.
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Oklahoma City | 81 | 20 | 14.8 | .503 | — | .581 | 4.1 | .5 | .5 | .7 | 3.3 |
| 2014–15 | Oklahoma City | 70 | 67 | 25.3 | .544 | .000 | .502 | 7.5 | .9 | .5 | 1.2 | 7.7 |
| 2015–16 | Oklahoma City | 80 | 80 | 25.2 | .613 | — | .582 | 6.7 | .8 | .5 | 1.1 | 8.0 |
| 2016–17 | Oklahoma City | 80 | 80 | 29.9 | .571 | .000 | .611 | 7.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 11.3 |
| 2017–18 | Oklahoma City | 76 | 76 | 32.7 | .629 | .000 | .559 | 9.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 13.9 |
| 2018–19 | Oklahoma City | 80 | 80 | 33.4 | .595 | .000 | .500 | 9.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 13.9 |
| 2019–20 | Oklahoma City | 63 | 63 | 26.7 | .592 | .333 | .582 | 9.3 | 2.3 | .8 | 1.1 | 10.9 |
| 2020–21 | New Orleans | 58 | 58 | 27.7 | .614 | .000 | .444 | 8.9 | 1.9 | .9 | .7 | 7.6 |
| 2021–22 | Memphis | 76 | 75 | 26.3 | .547 | .000 | .543 | 10.0 | 3.4 | .9 | .8 | 6.9 |
| 2022–23 | Memphis | 42 | 42 | 27.0 | .597 | .000 | .364 | 11.5 | 2.3 | .9 | 1.1 | 8.6 |
| Career | 706 | 641 | 26.8 | .587 | .067 | .536 | 8.2 | 1.5 | .9 | 1.0 | 9.2 | |
NBA Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Oklahoma City | 18 | 0 | 18.4 | .689 | — | .348 | 4.1 | .2 | .1 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
| 2016 | Oklahoma City | 18 | 18 | 30.7 | .613 | .000 | .630 | 9.5 | .7 | .5 | .8 | 10.1 |
| 2017 | Oklahoma City | 5 | 5 | 31.4 | .643 | — | .364 | 6.8 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 8.0 |
| 2018 | Oklahoma City | 6 | 6 | 33.4 | .587 | — | .692 | 7.5 | 1.5 | .7 | .7 | 10.5 |
| 2019 | Oklahoma City | 5 | 5 | 31.8 | .667 | .000 | .375 | 7.2 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 11.5 |
| 2020 | Oklahoma City | 7 | 7 | 30.0 | .596 | .000 | .450 | 11.6 | 1.3 | .6 | .3 | 10.1 |
| 2022 | Memphis | 7 | 5 | 16.3 | .429 | — | .545 | 6.4 | 2.1 | .1 | .1 | 3.4 |
| Career | 66 | 46 | 26.1 | .614 | .000 | .535 | 7.4 | 1.0 | .5 | .9 | 7.7 | |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Pittsburgh | 32 | 32 | 23.4 | .571 | .000 | .443 | 6.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 7.2 |
Steven's Life Off the Court
Steven Adams enjoys playing video games. His favorites are Dota 2 and Smite. He also used to share his Fortnite and online Chess wins on Instagram.
In 2018, he released his autobiography called Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight. He wrote it with his childhood friend, journalist Madeleine Chapman.
Steven is known in the NBA for his good humor and humble personality. On December 14, 2018, during a game against the Denver Nuggets, he showed great sportsmanship. An opponent, Mason Plumlee, fell over Steven after jumping. Steven chose to drop the ball and catch Plumlee, preventing a serious injury.
Steven was also featured in the 2022 documentary film Dame Valerie Adams: More than Gold. In the film, he talks about his sister, Olympic shot putter Valerie Adams, and her childhood.
Images for kids
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Steven Adams with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021
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Adams (right) with the Thunder in February 2014, playing against Kevin Séraphin of the Washington Wizards
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Adams with the Thunder in 2017
See Also
In Spanish: Steven Adams (baloncestista) para niños
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
