It's coming up to a year since Kiwi, Steven Adams was picked for the NBA team, Oklahoma City Thunder. Since the 2013 draft held last June, Adams has proven to be a solid, instinctive player with a good attitude on the court – he proved this week he can even take a punch and not worry about it.
During Game 6 of the 2014 first-round playoff series, OKC played the Memphis Grizzlies; in it Adams was punched by the Grizzlies' Zach Randolph who was subsequently suspended from Game 7 without pay.
The commentator said of Adams: "He's been involved in a lot of different scuffles throughout his rookie season. He has away of getting underneath the skin of his opponent, and what I like about him, he never shows any emotion."
Adam's OKC team mate, Kevin Durant, was also nominated Most Valuable Player this week. In Durant's acceptance speech, which included thank you messages to the team, he said to Steven:
"You mean a lot to me and you inspire me too. You've been through so much at a young age and I relate to that and I know your story. I don't really talk about it a lot but I know. Keep being who you are man because you're a hell of a person."
"I didn't know who you were when you first got here but you made me realise with the hard screens you set in practice (and when you) elbow me when I come down the lane. You let your presence be known.
"You're just such a fun, spirited person. Never change who you are."
A part of Adams' charm is his insistence on staying true to his Kiwi roots. In the video below he's house hunting. He says "Do they have a clothesline or no? Is that just not what they do in America? You hang clothes inside; is that normal"?
Also remembering where he comes from, Rotorua and then Wellington to be exact, as shown in this Tweet: