Basketball: Steven Adams excited by opportunities presented by rise of basketball in New Zealand

By Josh Price in Oklahoma City

Steven Adams has talked up the growth of basketball in New Zealand ahead of the Breakers' game against the centre's Oklahoma City Thunder today.

Adams practised with the New Zealand club eight years ago before heading over to the United States to play for the University of Pittsburgh at the collegiate level. Since that time, basketball has continued to rise in popularity in New Zealand.

"After I was drafted (in 2013) there was this huge spike and all these kids want to play basketball. It's huge; it's real, real cool to see," Adams said.

"What's good from that is we're getting a lot of college scouts coming to New Zealand to pick up a lot of players, so there's a lot of scholarships being offered to all these Kiwi kids. Can't deny a free scholarship, mate. How good's no student debt? It's a pretty good start in life."

Steven Adams hosts training camps in New Zealand during the NBA off-season. Photo / Photosport

Speaking about the opportunity for the Breakers to be a part of the preseason crossover matches, Adams said it was a huge opportunity for the New Zealand club to been seen.

"It's just such a great opportunity…it's huge for New Zealand as a whole and not just the Breakers, they are representing the whole of New Zealand so that's really cool that they get to come over and be on this big stage here," Adams said.

"It just gives the boys individually, it gives them an opportunity to get on the scouts' radars, there's a lot of good things; really, really good things."

Adams has been keeping tabs on the Breakers as they travelled in the United States, being particularly impressed by Tom Abercrombie's dunk on the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr – which made it onto ESPN's Sportcenter.

"That was tough aye, that was good a little one hand, he's not a one hand dunker.
I was like 'how did he pull that off bro?'"

And he's hoping Abercrombie can repeat the dosage when the sides play this afternoon.

"I haven't told any of the boys, I don't think they know.

"So I'm hoping that he'll sneak one of these guys, [and] try and dunk on one of our players so I can talk s***."

The game between the sides gets underway at 1pm.