Every time Steven Adams has elected not to play for the Tall Blacks, his decision has been met with utter outrage.
How dare New Zealand's only NBA player not play for the country, right? How unpatriotic. How will he ever inspire the younger generation if they don't see him… yeah, no, I can't get through this one with a straight face.
It's outrage simply for outrage's sake. It's not like Adams is the only NBA player who won't play for his country in China later this year.
Australia's shining light Ben Simmons withdrew his name from consideration after signing a five-year contract worth upwards of $240m with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In the United States, 14 players have declined invitations to join the team, while others made themselves unavailable for selection – such as LeBron James who said he wouldn't be available due to shooting Space Jam 2.
Ben Simmons will not play for Australia at the World Cup. Photo / Getty Images
Further north, the Canadian team will only have four of 22 players currently involved in the NBA available to them – including undrafted rookie Oshae Brissett who recently signed with the Toronto Raptors and is yet to play an NBA game.
It's been a recurring theme over the years that many NBA players choose not to represent their countries at the World Cup, but instead offer their services for the Olympic Games – should their country qualify. Playing in both the World Cup and the Olympics has an impact on two NBA seasons, and that's a significant commitment for a player who is being paid millions to play for an NBA team.
There will always be the argument that Adams playing for the Tall Blacks will lift basketball in New Zealand into the limelight – but his presence in the NBA, along with the NZ Breakers' continued competitiveness in the ANBL already do that in bunches, while the NZNBL continues to grow.
Steven Adams has been a constant feature of the Oklahoma City Thunder line-up for years. Photo / Getty Images
In the 2018 New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council's annual census of sport participation, basketball had experienced a 26 per cent rise since 2014 to become the second most played sport among secondary school students in the country behind netball. Adams was drafted into the NBA in 2013 and quickly became an important fixture of the Oklahoma City Thunder squad – while the NZ Breakers were ANBL champions in 2011, '12, '13 and '15, and were runners up in 2016.
While basketball grew considerably, participation in sports such as rugby, netball, football, athletics and rugby league all dropped. If the powers in charge of how the Government's sport funding budget is distributed don't see the value in pumping more money into one of the country's fastest growing sports, seeing Adams in a black jersey isn't likely to change that.
Instead, while the Tall Blacks are overseas preparing for the World Cup, Adams will be working with New Zealand's youth in a hands-on capacity. Having already worked with secondary school students from around the country for his high school invitational game, Adams will take his annual camps further afield this year – with stops in Invercargill, Napier and Whangarei.
Steven Adams does plenty of work with the country's youth. Photo / Photosport
Outside of his personally branded camps, the 26-year-old is also believed to have purchased a $6 million former trampoline park in Wellington which will be transformed into a training facility for local use.
The notion that representing your country is the be all and end all for a professional athlete both in career goals and promoting their sport is an outdated one – and Adams is showing that.
NBA players to withdraw or decline invitations from national team World Cup squads
Australia: Ben Simmons, who withdrew after signing a contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers worth more than $240m.
USA: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden, Eric Gordon, Tobias Harris, Paul Millsap, JJ Redick, Montrezl Harrell, Anthony Davis, Kevin Love, Andre Drummond, Julius Randle, LeBron James.
