The NBA has evolved a lot over the past two decades. Gone are the days when we used to see a lot of players getting extremely physical over a defensive rebound or a loose ball. Now, we're seeing a lot of guys who are getting called for fouls with the slightest body contact. Gone are the days when the league's best bigs scored most of their points in the post. Now, 7-footers are starting to take 3-point shots like they were layups.
But despite a lot of changes in the league, Oklahoma City Thunder's Steven Adams is one of the few people who remains an old-school. guy. Adams is one of the few players who's ready to get physical with opposing centers in the painted area. And why not? He's physically built to be that way, and ESPN's Royce Young reported that Adams' strength is well-recognized by a lot of people in the league:
“That guy is the strongest, most physical guy in the league,” says Wizards coach Scott Brooks, who coached Adams for two seasons in OKC.
Says teammate Jerami Grant: “He is for sure, definitely the strongest guy in the NBA.”
Philadelphia 76ers star Jimmy Butler recalls an incident last season when he collided with Adams, and it's not a memory he'd like to remember:
“That m—–f—– is strong. Like, I'm serious. He hit me with one screen and I thought my life was over. He's from Krypton or something.”
Only a few players in the NBA can match Steven Adams' physicality and strength. However, he remains one of the nicest guys in the league. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taj Gibson, a former teammate of Adams, can attest to that:
“He will knock your block off and then ask you if you're OK.”
Russell Westbrook admitted that his teammate could shoot 3s if he really wanted to, but Adams refuses to follow the trend. He remains a throwback guy, as Spurs coach Gregg Popovich calls him.
Steven Adams has contributed a lot to the Thunder's success this season, and as the old adage says, he just likes to play to his strengths.
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