Adams in All-Star death stare
There might be a few getting excited about the possibility of an All-Star callup for New Zealand NBA sensation Steven Adams, but the man himself is certainly not one of them.
The Oklahoma City Thunder centre is enjoying a stellar season, averaging a career-high 16.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and it has the 25-year-old right in the frame for the All-Star game in Charlotte in February.
However, in true Adams style, talking up himself is real no-no.
When asked by The Oklahoman/NewsOK.com’s Erik Horne what it would mean to make the All-Stars team, Adams simply gave a shake of the head, a shrug of the shoulders and a long stare at the camera before simply saying ‘‘I don’t care, mate.’’
It follows his ultra-modest response on Thursday to his personal best 23 rebounds in the win over the Sacramento Kings, where he said he ‘‘couldn’t care less’’ about his achievement and that the bounces of the ball just happened to be going his way.
All-Star voting begins on Christmas Day in the United States, with fans accounting for 50 per cent of the lineups and players and media splitting the other half of voting.
As selections are divided into just two categories – guards and front-court players – Adams will be up against stiff competition, with his best chance of inclusion perhaps coming through a reserves spot, which are voted on by coaches.
While rules prevent coaches selecting any players from their own team, the Thunder’s Billy Donovan has labelled Adams as one of the best centres going around, thanks to his contributions at both ends of the court.
‘‘I don’t think there’s many centres in the Western Conference that’s playing at the level that he’s played at,’’ he said.
Grown men bowed down to Sarpreet Singh. Such was the quality of the midfielder’s performance in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Brisbane Roar that he had fawning fans pledging their allegiance to the Wellington Phoenix’s newest prince of the park.
And he is just a prince after all because at just 19 he remains a work in progress.
But, on Saturday he produced one of those games that in years to come, when he’s likely moved on to bigger and better things than the Phoenix and the A-League, people will still be saying ‘‘remember that game against the Roar’’. It was reminiscent of when former Phoenix starlet Marco Rojas announced himself as a star of the future back in 2010-11.
Singh has already shown glimpses of brilliance in his 21-match A-League career but this was the first time he took complete control of a match, ripping apart the Roar midfield with his pace and agility. Two of his mazy runs led directly to the Phoenix’s first two second-half goals, before he capped his night with a goal from a direct freekick in stoppage time.
That goal almost saw Phoenix coach Mark Rudan join those adoring fans.
‘‘He’s a little gem, isn’t he? I almost got down on my hands and knees and started bowing as well. It was great to see the fans