ADAMS, THE SUPERHUMAN
Steven Adams reveals the secret to his superhuman strength
Steven Adams is not of this world. At least, that’s what you’ll hear from some of the players who have to play him in an NBA match.
The 25-year-old Kiwi is widely considered one of the strongest players in the NBA, but just how strong isn’t something gauged by an armwrestling contest at All-Star weekend.
Instead, it’s about trusting the words of those who play with and against him and, as Philadelphia 76ers star Jimmy Butler said after a game last season: “That motherf ***** is strong.”
“He hit me with one screen and I thought my life was over . . . he’s from Krypton or something.”
But in the ever-changing NBA landscape, perhaps Adams’ game is not of this world, but of generations past. There’s nothing flashy about his work, he doesn’t float out beyond the three-point line to hoist up shots, but he will grind his defender into a pulp when backing down in the post.
“He is strong. He is strong,” former teammate Taj Gibson told ESPN. “He’s also highly intelligent, he’s extremely physical, he loves the physicality of the game, he loves setting screens. He’s just a beast down there, man.”
But to play such a physical role night after night, Adams’ body needs to be well maintained, which is where his love for science comes into play.
The Kiwi eschews the modern trend for ice baths and goes the opposite way with a sauna to aid recovery. He cites studies that have shown saunas help to relieve muscle tension and allow for faster recovery.
“The research behind it, mate, you
That motherf ***** is strong. He hit me with one screen and I thought my life was over . . . he’s from Krypton or something. Jimmy Butler
can bloody ask one of those guys who’s got a degree,” Adams told ESPN. “Bloody science, whatever, mate. I’m a big fan of science, but whoever searched that up, cool man, because I’m a fan of the sauna.”
Gibson added: “He says it’s good for testosterone levels, for testosterone growth or something.”
It seems to work for Adams, who has played 429 of a possible 453 regular season games since entering the league. Over that time, he has learned putting his body on the line is the best way to make his mark.
Adams’ approach to the game can be defined by the word balance. In the weight room, he focuses on his core and base so he can plant himself as an immovable object in the paint.
“One of the reasons I’ve found a little bit of success down low is no one plays low-post defence any more,” Adams told ESPN. “It’s so much easier in the post. It’s so tough to score against [Marcin] Gortat, Nene [Hilario], the older guys. They’ve played it so many times, over and over again. They have their own little tricks, they know the balance, they know what to force you to.”
Adams has won plenty of fans through his play, and was among the players to receive most votes for the NBA All-Star game by fans with less than a week left in the voting.