Steven Adams facts for kids
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Adams with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022
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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 Funaki Paea He Ofa Ki Loa Adams (born on July 20, 1993) is a professional basketball player from New Zealand. He plays as a center for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Steven is one of only three players from New Zealand to ever play in the NBA.
Before joining the NBA, Steven played for the Wellington Saints in New Zealand in 2011. He then moved to the United States in 2012 to play college basketball for Pittsburgh. The Oklahoma City Thunder picked him as the 12th overall player in the 2013 NBA draft. He was their main starting center for six years. In November 2020, after seven years with the Thunder, Steven was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. In August 2021, he moved to the Memphis Grizzlies. He played for the Grizzlies for two and a half seasons before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2024.
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Steven Adams' Early Life
Steven Adams was born in Rotorua, New Zealand. His mother was from Tonga, and his father was from England. Steven's father, Sid Adams, was very tall, standing at 6 feet 11 inches. All of his children inherited his height. Steven's brothers are about 6 feet 9 inches tall on average. His sisters are about 6 feet tall on average.
Steven has two half-sisters who are also famous athletes. Dame Valerie Adams is an Olympic gold medalist and world champion in shot-put. Lisa Adams is a para-athlete who has won gold at the Paralympics in shot-put. Steven's brothers, Warren and Sid Jr., played basketball in New Zealand. His sister, Gabriella Adams-Gavet, also played for the New Zealand national team.
A Difficult Time and New Beginnings
Steven's father passed away from stomach cancer when Steven was 13 years old. This was a very tough time for him. He later said that losing his dad was a huge challenge. He struggled without his father's guidance and sometimes skipped school.
After his father's death, a kind person named Blossom Cameron helped Steven. She became his legal guardian and took him to Wellington. Blossom introduced Steven to a famous basketball coach in Wellington, Kenny McFadden. Kenny welcomed Steven into his basketball academy. Blossom also enrolled Steven in Scots College. Kenny McFadden had one important rule for Steven: he had to go to school every day to play basketball. Steven did very well at Scots College. He was able to qualify for college basketball in the United States after graduating in December 2011.
College Basketball Journey
After finishing Scots College in December 2011, Steven went to Notre Dame Preparatory School. This was a well-known basketball prep school in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He stayed there for one semester to get used to American basketball. This helped him prepare before starting at Pittsburgh in June 2012.
Playing for Pittsburgh
In his only season at Pittsburgh, Steven was recognized as a top new player. He was named the Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year. He also earned a spot on the Big East All-Rookie Team. He started all 32 games during the 2012–13 season. On average, he scored 7.2 points, grabbed 6.3 rebounds, and blocked 2.0 shots per game. After this successful season, Steven decided to enter the NBA draft. He chose to go professional instead of playing his remaining three years in college.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting in New Zealand: Wellington Saints (2011)
In 2011, Steven Adams played for the Wellington Saints in New Zealand's National Basketball League. He did not get paid by the Saints. This was important so he could keep his eligibility to play college basketball in the U.S. Steven was named the New Zealand NBL Rookie of the Year. He also helped the Saints win the championship that year. In 15 games, he averaged 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
NBA Debut: Oklahoma City Thunder (2013–2020)
Early Years (2013–2016)
On June 27, 2013, the Oklahoma City Thunder chose Steven Adams as the 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He was only the second New Zealander to be drafted into the NBA. He was also the first New Zealander to be picked in the first round. On July 12, Steven signed his first contract with the Thunder.
Steven played his first NBA game on October 30, 2013. He scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in a win against the Utah Jazz. Nine days later, in just his fifth NBA game, he scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds. This helped the Thunder win against the Detroit Pistons. In his first season, Steven played in 81 games. He averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds. The Thunder made it to the Western Conference Finals that year. At the end of the 2013–14 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, he scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in a win over the San Antonio Spurs. On January 21, 2015, he had a career-high 20 rebounds in an overtime win against the Washington Wizards.
On January 10, 2016, Steven scored 17 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. In the playoffs that year, he played a big role. In Game 2 against the Spurs, he had 12 points and 17 rebounds. He helped the Thunder reach the Western Conference Finals again. In Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, he scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. During Game 3, he was kicked by Draymond Green. Even though the Thunder were leading 3–1 in the series, they lost in seven games.
Increased Performance (2016–2020)
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On October 31, 2016, Steven Adams signed a new four-year contract with the Thunder. On November 22, he scored a career-high 20 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. He topped that on December 9, 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. This helped the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. On February 2, 2018, he had 23 points and 12 rebounds against the New Orleans Pelicans. He reached 3,000 career points in this game. On February 13, he had 22 points and 17 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Twelve of his 17 rebounds were offensive rebounds, which was a record for a Thunder player. In the playoffs, Steven had 19 points and 16 rebounds in a loss to the Utah Jazz. The Thunder were eliminated from the playoffs.
On November 17, 2018, Steven scored 26 points in a win over the Phoenix Suns. On December 14, he had 26 points and 14 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets. Five days later, he scored 20 points and grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds in a win over the Sacramento Kings. On March 3, 2019, he had 13 points and 22 rebounds in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
New Orleans Pelicans (2020–2021)
On November 24, 2020, Steven Adams was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. As part of the trade, he signed a two-year contract extension. On January 29, 2021, he grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds in a win 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 Adams was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. On October 23, he scored a season-high 17 points and had nine rebounds in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers. On December 6, he tied his season high with 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a win against the Miami Heat. On February 26, 2022, Steven scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high 21 rebounds in a win over the Chicago Bulls.
On October 2, 2022, Steven signed a new two-year contract with the Grizzlies. On January 18, 2023, he made a game-winning tip-in shot to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. Four days later, he hurt his right knee. On January 24, the Grizzlies announced he had a PCL sprain in his right knee. He was expected to miss several weeks. Steven missed the rest of the regular season and the playoffs due to his injury.
Steven missed the entire 2023–24 NBA season because he needed surgery on his knee. His knee had not healed with other treatments.
Houston Rockets (2024–Present)
On February 1, 2024, Steven Adams was traded to the Houston Rockets. He made his Rockets debut on October 28, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds. On January 5, 2025, after fully recovering from his knee surgery, Steven had eight points and nine rebounds in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On January 22, he grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Eight days later, Steven started his first game of the season. He had 11 points and 10 rebounds against his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
On May 2, 2025, during the first round of the playoffs, Steven scored 17 points and had five rebounds in a win over the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets eventually lost the series in seven games. On June 18, 2025, the Rockets signed Steven to a contract extension.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
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 |
| 2024–25 | Houston | 58 | 3 | 13.7 | .545 | .000 | .462 | 5.6 | 1.1 | .4 | .5 | 3.9 |
| Career | 764 | 644 | 25.8 | .586 | .059 | .533 | 8.0 | 1.5 | .8 | .9 | 8.8 | |
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 |
| 2025 | Houston | 7 | 0 | 22.1 | .600 | — | .533 | 6.6 | .6 | .4 | 1.1 | 5.7 |
| Career | 73 | 46 | 25.7 | .614 | .000 | .534 | 7.3 | .9 | .5 | .9 | 7.5 | |
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 Adams' Personal Life
Steven Adams enjoys playing video games. He has said that Dota 2 and Smite are some of his favorite games. He also used to share his Fortnite and online chess wins on Instagram.
In 2018, Steven released his autobiography called Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight. He wrote it with his childhood friend and journalist, Madeleine Chapman.
Steven is known in the NBA for his good sense of humor and humble personality. On December 14, 2018, during a game against the Denver Nuggets, he showed great sportsmanship. His opponent, Mason Plumlee, jumped to block a shot and fell over Steven. Even though Steven had an easy shot, he dropped the ball to catch Plumlee. This prevented Plumlee from getting a serious injury. This moment was remembered by many people. On March 12, 2025, during a game against the Phoenix Suns, Steven and Plumlee were both sent out of the game after an incident.
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's childhood.
See also
In Spanish: Steven Adams (baloncestista) para niños
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
