Adams gets down to business in new home
For Steven Adams these things are never complicated. The NBA is a business, players come and go, it was his time to make that move and he has a good feeling about his new coach and new team.
Adams made his first media appearance as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans yesterday and the 27-year-old Kiwi did not disappoint with plenty of his trademark quirkiness and honesty in a 15-minute chat.
There is much anticipation in New Orleans around the off-season addition of the rugged big man to a
Pelicans roster loaded with young talent, spearheaded by 2019 top draft pick Zion Williamson and forward Brandon Ingram.
Adams is seen very much as an experienced leader capable of playing a mentoring role to the young stars, as well as providing a crucial presence as a defensive anchor, offensive rebounder and reliable finisher in the paint.
Pelicans executive vicepresident of basketball operations David Griffin a day earlier called Adams ‘‘as selfless a team-mate and as ferocious a competitor as there is in the league’’ and new head coach Stan Van Gundy playfully talked up the frontcourt pairing of Adams and Williamson when he noted, ‘‘you’re not punkin’ the New Orleans Pelicans ever with those two guys next to each other’’.
Still, there will be an adjustment for New Zealand’s finest basketballer after the first change of teams in his seven-year NBA career. He was sent to New Orleans with one year left on his contract, and then quickly signed a two-year US$35m extension.
‘‘It’s all part of the business, getting traded. That isn’t the difficult part,’’ he told his new media posse. ‘‘The difficult part is the relationships you build within it and then you have to move on. It’s not like I died or anything; I’m going to see them again, so that’s fine. It ain’t that sad.
‘‘In terms of coming here, it’s just an exciting team, Stan’s an old-school dude, and I just like that, man. I feel like I can learn a lot from him, hence the extensionus . . . that sounds like Harry Potter style, mate.’’
Adams also impressed with his response when asked about his willingness to embrace and represent Oklahoma City in his time there. ‘‘As a player you just play basketball, but you’ve also got to think larger than that,’’ he said. ‘‘You’re representing a city, and the city’s history. You have to look at that and understand how you need to hold yourself.
‘‘That’s why fans want to get to know you, just tomake sure you’re a good dude.
‘‘You’re representing them. It means a lot to people, so shouldn’t be taken too lightly.
‘‘I do the best I can to try and represent them ... I know I’m representing New Zealand as well – my own country. A lot of international people think like this also – I’m not an, er, anomaly (I always struggle with that word, mate).’’