NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Basketball

Basketball: Charmer Adams eyes draft top 10

Kris Shannon
By Kris Shannon
Multimedia Journalist·APNZ·
26 Jun, 2013 05:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
NBA expert fancies witty Kiwi's chances after youngster wins over selectors and earns exclusive invitation.

Much has been made of Steven Adams' size and athleticism, but it's his charm which could help the Kiwi climb inside the top 10 of the NBA draft.

Adams will tomorrow become the first New Zealander selected in the opening round of the draft, an honour all but guaranteed by the 19-year-old's invitation to the "green room" at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn.

The room is where an exclusive group of top prospects gather to wait for NBA commissioner David Stern to call their name, and in the last two seasons the final player summoned has been chosen at No18 overall.

But, according to one expert, Adams may be taken a lot earlier than that, courtesy of a "Kiwi wit" which has won over talent evaluators.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Adams is still raw and some way from making an impact in the NBA, but, with his 2.1m body complemented by a personality just as large, he could earn up to $3 million in his rookie season.

That seemed a long way off when Adams made his college basketball debut last year, but since declaring himself eligible for the draft he has impressed team executives in interviews as much as workouts.

Chad Ford, who forecasts the draft for ESPN.com, was one of a number of analysts who believed Adams would need two or three years of college before he was ready for the demands of professional basketball.

But, as he told the Herald, Ford now believes Adams - who will be the second New Zealander drafted after Sean Marks (No44) - could be selected in the top 10.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Steven Adams has been one of the high-risers of this draft," Ford said. "I think his range now is as high as Sacramento [Kings] at No7.

"I think the [Portland Trail Blazers] will look at him strongly at No10, and the [Philadelphia 76ers] will at No11. I think it's more probable he'll get to Oklahoma City at No12, though he may slip a spot or two below that."

Ford said the reasons for Adams' elevation were two-fold. As much as scouts were drawn in by quantifiable measurements like his 2.3m wingspan, there was also a more intangible attraction.

"He's got a body that's ready-made to be an NBA centre. If you're going to build an NBA centre, you'd build it to look a little bit like Steven Adams.

Discover more

Basketball

Basketball: Adams tipped to join 76ers

21 Jun 12:24 AM
Basketball

Steven Adams - The next big thing

21 Jun 05:30 PM
Basketball

Basketball: Adams set for first round selection

21 Jun 05:30 PM
Basketball

Basketball: Adams gets NBA draft invite

26 Jun 12:12 AM

"People have loved his workouts, but they've loved his interviews and they've loved him as a person."

It certainly seems Adams hasn't let his impending wealth affect him and, according to Ford, the teenager has earned many admirers from the way he conducted himself in the rigorous pre-draft vetting process.

"This guy is hilarious," Ford said on the BS Report. "Teams were coming out of their interviews with him chuckling at the interview. He's very candid, he doesn't know this whole drill about how things are supposed to be perceived or said - he'll say just about anything.

"He absolutely charmed everyone that he went to work out with."

Of course, a player needs more than a charming personality to convince a franchise to make a multi-million dollar investment. And that's exactly what Adams will be - an investment a team will likely stash away, waiting for it to mature before reaping the dividends.

"He's a perfect candidate to go to the [NBA Development League] and play a tonne of minutes and get used to playing basketball more and more," Ford said. "I think he could be one of the steals of the draft."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Crash course

• The draft has two rounds from which 60 players are chosen. All 30 teams are allocated two picks each (some have more or fewer because of trades) to select the cream of the college and international crop.

• The first three picks are chosen by a lottery, in which the teams with the 14 worst win-loss records from the previous season have weighted odds. Following the top three, the remaining selections are distributed in a worst-to-first format, again based on win-loss totals from the last campaign.

• Last year's No1 pick (Anthony Davis to New Orleans) was given a first-year salary of $5.5 million. The No7 pick, which Chad Ford projects as Steven Adams' ceiling, was paid $3 million. The No18 pick, likely the lowest Adams could slide, still earned a rookie contract of $1.6 million.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Basketball

Basketball

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

08 Jul 07:00 PM
Basketball

Junior Tall Blacks fall to US at U19 World Cup

05 Jul 10:58 PM
Basketball

Junior Tall Blacks reach U19 World Cup semifinals

04 Jul 11:25 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Basketball

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

08 Jul 07:00 PM

Each player had to pay $5000 to feature at the U19 World Cup in Switzerland.

Junior Tall Blacks fall to US at U19 World Cup

Junior Tall Blacks fall to US at U19 World Cup

05 Jul 10:58 PM
Junior Tall Blacks reach U19 World Cup semifinals

Junior Tall Blacks reach U19 World Cup semifinals

04 Jul 11:25 PM
Premium
Kiwi athletes urged to watch what they wear - or risk falling foul of drug testers

Kiwi athletes urged to watch what they wear - or risk falling foul of drug testers

29 Jun 12:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP