Basketball: Oklahoma City Thunder star Steven Adams opens up on spending time on his farm in New Zealand and the NBA restart

Steven Adams during an NBA media zoom conference. Photo / Twitter

Steven Adams has been labelled as "delightful" after charming reporters in a media zoom call ahead of the resumption of the NBA season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder centre is currently preparing for the restart of the NBA season on July 30 and fielded a range of questions from American reporters, where he discussed spending some of his time off at his farm in New Zealand, preparing for the NBA restart and practicing his basketball skills with his cows.

After starting out the media conference by making fun of a Thunder staffer's grey hair, Adams opened up about his time in New Zealand during the worldwide sporting shutdown, saying he enjoyed spending time with family, mates and his cows.

"I think that's everyone's first instinct to do when there's a world crisis going on – spend some time back on the farm," he joked. "Cows are doing good, mate."

🔈After 16 weeks, Big Kiwi is back. @RealStevenAdams pic.twitter.com/NnE2GmorQk

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 2, 2020

Steven Adams starts out his virtual media presser by making fun of a Thunder PR staff member’s gray hair.

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) July 2, 2020

Steven Adams on a Zoom call = predictably delightful.

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 2, 2020

Apart from sneaking in a few games of pickup basketball while back home, Adams said he also managed to get some practice done at the farm: "I was boxing out cows and all that bro."

Steven Adams. Photo / Photosport

When asked about whether he thought twice about returning to the U.S. for the restart of the season because of safety, he said he "always imagined that I would come back".

"Yes and no because of the amount of effort and just how well they packaged the whole Orlando thing," he said. "They're taking all the right precautions and they're going through all the things. It's a safe environment that they're creating. It didn't cross my mind. I just didn't even think about it.

"I was expecting the season to come back up. Every day that I was over there I was like 'something will pop up, the season's going to go'. That was a long time bro. It's been a long stretch. It's unbelievable.

"But I always imagined that I would come back. It would've been kind of empty not finishing the season. Every player feels like that too. If you ask any player, obviously every player wants to play."

pic.twitter.com/I3raDsBLp0

— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) July 2, 2020

The 26-year-old also praised New Zealand's efforts in dealing with the pandemic.

"There were a few hiccups, but New Zealanders are generally quite compliant with the rules. We're a smaller country and our borders are more easily managed. The approach was right at the start: go hard and kick its butt."

He said he was excited to get back to business and believed his Thunder side has an advantage when it comes to team chemistry.

"I'm betting on our team."

I asked Steven Adams about the Zoom calls the team has had during the past few months. When I asked the follow up on if he had any difficulty getting accustomed to computer conferences, he replied:

"I'm not bloody 60 mate!"

— Brady Trantham (@BradyDoesSports) July 2, 2020

Steven Adams on being in New Zealand during the pandemic: “There were a few hiccups, but New Zealanders are generally quite compliant with the rules. We’re a smaller country and our borders are more easily managed. The approach was right at the start go hard and kick its butt.”

— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) July 2, 2020