NBA star Steven Adams makes ‘magical visit’ to Rotorua primary school

Basketball superstar Steven Adams visited Ōwhata Primary School.

Basketball superstar Steven Adams has returned to the Rotorua primary school he attended in what has been described as a “magical visit”.

Ōwhata Primary School principal Bob Stiles said having the NBA player at the school yesterday was “something pretty special”.

“It was like being in the presence of a real-life superhero.”

He said Adams’ physical presence added to the special feeling that resonated throughout the school as more than 260 pupils sat in awe.

“He towers more than a foot over me and I’m not short. It was just really special. Pretty hard to describe.”

The visit was “a bit on the down-low” and included a pōhiri, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Stiles said Adams’ former teachers and teacher aides were also invited back to the school – Helen Berry, Veronica Adams and Cara Hurihanganui – as well as Dean Henderson, his former coach from Mokoia Intermediate School.

Basketball superstar Steven Adams presents Ōwhata Primary School principal Bob Stiles with one of his singlets.

He presented the school with one of his Houston Rockets singlets and they gave him an Ōwhata Primary School jersey, Stiles said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of young Rotorua basketball players aged between 8 to 14 were this morning preparing to train with their hero at the Rotorua Events Centre as part of the Steven Adams Basketball Camps.

The camps have been running since 2018 and this year are being held in Rotorua, Christchurch, New Plymouth and Auckland. They allow selected children to spend time training with the superstar.

Adams, 32, made his NBA debut in 2013 and, according to reported records, had made $264 million before this latest signing with the Houston Rockets for $65m.

The 2.11m (6ft 11in) basketballer grew up on the east side of Rotorua and also attended Mokoia Intermediate and Rotorua Lakes High schools.

He posted a photograph of himself on Instagram last night, standing outside Rotorua Lakes High School with the caption “Alot [sic] of good memories here”.

After playing one season with the Wellington Saints in 2011, Adams moved to the United States in 2012 to play college basketball and was eventually picked up by the NBA.

He is the brother of double Olympic gold-medal shot putter Dame Valerie Adams and gold-medal Paralympics shot putter Lisa Adams.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.