History lesson slam-dunk for Adams

New Zealand's highest-paid sportsman has made a whirlwind visit to Northland as he shows off his homeland to his US teammates.

Steven Adams, the 24-year-old centre of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team, was welcomed to the Treaty Grounds on Tuesday along with teammate and friend Andre Roberson, assistant coach Andrew Johns, and their entourage.

The genial giant was in Northland to cap off his annual trip home which this year included a golf tourney in Auckland and children's training camps in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, each of which drew at least 500 basketballmad kids. He also squeezed in a fishing trip off the Wellington coast.

The group were given a quick tour of the Treaty Grounds by guide Dan Busby of Kaikohe and a welcome at Te Whare Runanga (the carved meeting house) by cultural group Te Pitowhenua. Roberson, on his second visit to New Zealand, accepted the challenge.

After checking out the great waka Ngatokimatawhaorua, the group headed to Charlotte's Kitchen in Paihia for lunch, then relaxed on the beach at Waitangi.

Adams said it was his first visit to the Treaty Grounds so it had been a good experience to see it for himself and together”.

“I tell them [my teammates] the history of New Zealand. It's good for them to be here physically and experience it. We learnt a lot in terms of the Treaty and how it was back in those days,” he said.

Anything he could show them about New Zealand was good, “because it helps with what we're trying to do, which is teach people that New Zealand is awesome . . . we don't live in grass huts”.

Adams said the rest of their tour of Northland would involve a “tiki tour and showing them a good time”. “put the pieces