Steven Adams has only been in the NBA for a little longer than a full season, but veterans of the game have already taken notice and given respect. The seven-foot center from New Zealand has just about doubled his production in his second year and has been one of the Oklahoma City Thunder's most consistent players during a rocky start to the season. He recently took some time to speak with us about a new project from the NBA and American Express called Homecourt Advantage, his mustache, why big men are terrible at shooting free throws, and the Haka dance. Here's what he had to say:
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us.
No problem. I was forced [laughs].
Important questions first. Why did you grow a mustache before the season and not for Movember?
I'd done it before the season, because I wanted the mustache to last throughout the whole season when they show me on TV or in the pamphlets that they hand out. So when they introduce me, it would just come up as a mustache. For Movember, I was actually trying, I shaved the day before November. And it started growing out a lot, and I tried to shape it up myself, and I ruined it. It looked absolute garbage, so then I had to shave it all off. I had to. It was pretty tragic. But I definitely support men's health.
Did you cut into it and it was like half a mustache?
Yeah, it was awful. I don't know what happened, I just thought that this would look nice, and after I finished, it looked ridiculous.
What tips do you have for men trying to grow a great mustache?
Just stick to it. Everyone has to go through that kind of creepy pedophile stage with the mustache. And then beyond that, it's just absolute class. Just stick through it, no matter what the girls say.
For those who aren't familiar, what is Homecourt Advantage, and how are you involved?
All it is is the NBA is coming out with a digital platform that lets fans get closer to the players. That's all it is, get more insider and be closer.
What types of things are you doing with them?
I've been doing some videos and stuff. They came around and they took me around. We did some social chats and whatnot. That's what I've been doing with them.
What's the mood of the team been like?
Everyone's in a working mindset. The mood is kind of happy and determined. We just want to bounce back and we try to keep the same mindset every game. Our spirit's not broken or anything, nobody's accepting losing. We're just fighting everyday. We understand. We're really close. We're right there, but we gotta fix a couple details and comeback. That's what gets us excited and kind of motivates us. We're working our bums off. I still have high hopes.
How did the injuries to KD and Russ affect the team and who's stepped up?
Oh, man, everyone was devastated when we heard the news, but there are like four other players, too. Even our rookies, when Mitch McGary went down, everyone was down. So when all of our injured players went out, it wasn't just one particular person who came up. It was kind of like our whole team. We understood as a team we had to collectively come together. We knew we weren't going to be the same team without them, but we have to pick up their workload collectively and try to make up for it that way and distribute it amongst the team. That was our whole mindset.
I've just been listening to the coaches. It's still the same game. The system hasn't changed at all. We just have to run it through a couple more times.
What are the statuses of KD and Russ?
Oh, I don't even know. They don't even tell me. I'm still on the rookie status. I'm out of the loop, unfortunately. If I did know, I wouldn't tell you.
1.
What did you learn during your first year in the league, and how have you grown?
The major thing I learned from last year is just the defensive side of things. That was my goal from the start of it. Defense is gonna help me in particular and help my team, so that's what I've really focused on. Also, that it's a physical game. People like to hit a lot.
There's a YouTube video titled "NBA veterans hate Steven Adams" that shows a bunch of players elbowing and shoving you all over.
They don't hate me. We're on good terms.
Who would you say is the toughest big man in the league to guard?
Al Jefferson. One-on-one on the post, man, can't guard him.
What makes him so difficult to guard?
He's just so comfortable down there. He just knows what's going on. He knows how to use his body well, his angles, all that. He's got a really good touch around the rim and he shoots outside shots as well. So it's a tough guard one-on-one. Real tough.
The other tough guard is a different style, which is Zach. Which is just full, every single play down, it's going to be physical. That's a different thing, so those are the two tough ones. It's fun.
2.
Dwight Howard has been in the headlines a few times because of Kobe and Durant's opinions of him. What do you think of Dwight Howard's style of play and attitude on the court?
I think he's fine. I'm not sure what's going on or what KD had with him.
Basically, in a word, they were saying he's a sissy on the court and just complains all the time.
Oh, everybody complains. It's not just him. I hear it a lot.
What kinds of conversations happen in the paint? Who is the best trash-talker?
Kevin Garnett is good. It's not really trash. When I think of trash talk, it's a bunch of swear words. KG isn't like that, it's just more directed at all your weaknesses and kind of just makes you depressed, so it's really good.
What has he said to you?
I'm not sure what he said, but it's how he said it that's pretty bad. I couldn't really understand him. That's between him and I.
Why is it that big men are generally bad at shooting free throws?
[laughs] You probably nailed it on the head. We just need to take some more time to practice it, that's probably all it is.
But you just don't?
We do practice them. I practice them a lot, but I don't know, it could be a number of things. Some people say it's the hand size, but that's not it. For me I just get super pumped up, I get more nervous. It's more of a mental thing. We do practice. We don't want to miss the bloody free throw, do we?
You guys just played the Warriors. Did you talk to Iguodala at all after what happened with the Haka during FIBA?
Nah, not at all. It wasn't that serious. He knows. He knows.
What does that dance represent for New Zealanders and why did it bother you that he was playing it off?
It's just tradition. It's been a part of our country for a very, very long time. It's been there and it's part of our tradition, so I just thought it needed more respect than that. That's all that was. It deserves a whole lot more respect than that.
I think people were just surprised because they'd never seen it before.
It's an insight into our culture, and so it should be seen like that. Like, oh, this is what they do in New Zealand, this is actually really cool. Let's appreciate some culture.
I've read one of the hardest parts of transitioning into the NBA is family members wanting help and people coming out of the woodwork asking for things. You are one of 18 kids. What's been your experience with that?
It's actually been real easy. My family is different in that way. They haven't come out of nowhere and asked for stuff. They're actually really supportive. When I go back, they treat me exactly the same. I'm the youngest, so they try to still spoil me. I'll help, but they won't take it at all. That's just the way they are. They're good people.
Interview by Tony Markovich (@T_Marko)
