Rotorua basketballer Steven Adams picked for NBA

Rotorua's Steven Adams has been picked by Oklahoma City Thunder, the only team in the draft of 15 to make the NBA play-offs this year.

Adams, was predicted to be a No 12 pick for the Thunder, which teams him up with NBA superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

This pick is expected to gain Adams, 19, a salary of around US$2 million in his rookie year.

Adams grew up in Owhata with his three siblings, Gabriella, Lisa and Sidney. Olympic gold medallist Valerie Adam is a half-sister.

Adams will become the third Kiwi to play in the NBA if and when he takes to the court.

He has also become the first Kiwi basketball player to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft.

The 2.13m (7ft) centre from Rotorua was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th pick of the draft this afternoon.

He will play alongside superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Adams is only the second Kiwi player to be selected in the NBA draft and the first to go in its first round of 30 picks.

He revealed a New Zealand flag sewn on the inside of his suit and thanked his Kiwi fans during his post-selection interview with ESPN.

"Thank you for all the support guys and I'm pretty much doing it as a Kiwi, man. Always," he said.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are championship contenders, with a talented roster built around a transcendent scorer in Durant.   Adams said he was happy to go to the franchise.

"It feels amazing eh. All the New Zealand family was just rooting for OKC. So I'm pretty happy that I'm ending up in OKC.

ESPN analyst Bill Simmons said Adams could be a future difference-maker for the Thunder.

"This is an energy guy... Everybody loves his personality. People were talking about him like he was Eddie Murphy circa 1983."

Sean Marks was the last Kiwi player to be drafted into the NBA.

He was selected by the New York Knicks with the 44th pick in 1998.   Sharpshooter Kirk Penny was not drafted but played brief stints in the NBA for the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers  - with nzherald.co.nz