Gary Hamilton-Irvine: Steven Adams' big year

Rotorua superstar Steven Adams is on track to become New Zealand's most successful basketball player.

Adams, the brother of Olympic shot put champion Valerie Adams, became a household name earlier this year after being drafted into the NBA, the world's toughest basketball league.

The 20-year-old centre is now in his rookie year at the Oklahoma City Thunder where he averages about 16 minutes per game.

The Rotorua born-and-raised product grew up in Owhata and played local age-group basketball before moving to Wellington as a teenager.

He picked up a scholarship at a college in the United States and the rest is history.

Just before Christmas, Adams helped the Thunder earn top spot in the Western Conference of the NBA.

He was one of only five players at the Thunder to have played every game leading up to Christmas, with the team winning 22 of their first 26 games.

The team seem destined for the playoffs, which start in April 2014, where Adams will have the opportunity to make a bigger name for himself.

Adams has done a lot for the sport in Rotorua and across New Zealand this year, showing young athletes there is a pathway to the top.

He has also displayed a never give-up attitude on the court which has helped earn him plenty of praise at the Thunder.

In one match against the LA Lakers, earlier this year, Adams went flying into the front row of the crowd trying to keep the ball in play even though his team was already 20 points in front.

The commentators and fans gave him plenty of praise for his enthusiasm and never give-up attitude.

The 7-foot tall (2.1m) centre is only the fourth New Zealand-born basketball player to play in the world's top league and the first to get picked up in the first round of the NBA draft.