At a glance

decamping to, possibly, Asia.

Basketball NZ even graciously scheduled one of the games for Adams’ home town of Rotorua where the big fella could have completed a dream Tall Blacks debut.

Contractually, he’s in a good spot, just one year into that monster US$100 million (NZ$142m) new deal with the Thunder that makes him one of the world’s top 100 paid sports people; and, in terms of his basketball development, he’s fresh off a season that saw him take a giant leap in productivity across the board.

So, naturally, us Kiwi sports fans got our hopes up. He pops up here, gets a feel for the special nature of the team, plays some hoops with a collection of his old mates and then the floodgates are opened, so to speak.

Fronting up for the world championships in China next year isn’t such a big deal.

Instead we get another rejection. A continuation of the same lack of interest. And nothing much in the way of explanation, other than a statement from his management company about him needing to prepare for the next NBA season?

How would five or six days with the Tall Blacks have hampered his three-month off-season? It wouldn’t, is the answer.

Look, this is a special young man in a special situation. He makes more than the combined salaries of the All Blacks. His brand is becoming global in one of the world’s big-two sports.

But it’s hard not to shake the feeling that he’s damaging the one thing he holds true – his Kiwi-ness.

Can you recall a Kiwi sports pro of Adams’ ilk who has simply refused to play at all for his country?

Tall Blacks camp participants, June 17-21 in Wellington:

❚ Guards: Jarrod Kenny (Bay Hawks), Derone Raukawa (Southland Sharks), Dion Prewster (Bay Hawks), Isaac Letoa (Dartmouth University), Ethan Rusbatch (Bay Hawks), Jordan Ngatai (Wellington Saints), Tobias Cameron (Abilene Christian University), Alonzo Burton (Taranaki Mountain Airs), Kruz Perrot-Hunt (Rosmini College).

❚ Forwards: Tom Abercrombie (NZ Breakers), Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants), Finn Delany (Nelson Giants), Tohi Smith-Milner (Nelson Giants), Jackson Stent (Houston Baptist University), Reuben Te Rangi (Southland Sharks), Isaac Fotu (Ratiopharm Ulm), Max Darling (Canterbury Rams).

❚ Centres: Jack Salt (University of Virginia), Rob Loe (Cairns Taipans), Tyrell Harrison (Southwest Metro Pirates, Australia).