NBA
SA
#12

Steven Adams

Center · Houston Rockets · 6'11", 265 lb · Born Jul 20, 1993 · Rotorua, New Zealand · Drafted 12th overall, 2013
Houston Rockets🇳🇿 New ZealandElite screenerOffensive rebounder
NBAHouston RocketsCenters
Compare:vs Sengunvs Thompsonvs Jr.vs Okogievs Durantvs Sheppard
In short

Steven Adams is a physical, offensive-rebounding center for the Houston Rockets — widely considered one of the strongest players in the NBA. A New Zealander from a remarkable athletic family (his half-sister Valerie Adams won Olympic shot-put gold), he played at Pittsburgh, was drafted 12th in 2013, and built a career on interior toughness. A season-ending ankle injury cut his 2025-26 short.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceSat, Nov 14
@Golden State WarriorsAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
5.8
range 3.1–8.5
Line 6
47%
to go over
Team win
41%
111–113
Poi 5.8 Lean underReb 8.6 Lean overAss 1.5 Lean underPRA 15.8 Lean under
Likely on himAl Horford· 80 Rim protectionStrong defender
5+ pts61%10+ pts8%

Model lines Adams at 5.8 pts (range 3.1–8.5) vs a 6 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (47%).

Model favors Golden State Warriors (59%), projected 111–113, ~224 total at 96.5 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Adams
The Adams Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

One of the NBA's strongest men — a physical, screen-setting center from a legendary athletic family.

Born in Rotorua, New Zealand — half-brother of Olympic shot-put champion Valerie Adams — Adams starred at Pittsburgh and was drafted 12th in 2013.

🇳🇿 Pittsburgh · 12th, 2013🥇 Family gold

He built a decade-long career on physicality across Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Memphis.

OKC · NOP · MEMInterior toughness

Traded to Houston in 2024, he provided bruising screens and offensive rebounding.

Traded to HOU, 2024Offensive glass

A season-ending ankle injury cut his 2025-26 short in January.

5.8 / 8.6🩹 Ankle surgery
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
5.8
2025-26
RPG
8.6
per game
APG
1.5
per game
FG%
.504
LIFE

Roots & the rise

One of the NBA's strongest men — a physical, screen-setting, offensive-rebounding center from New Zealand.

Steven Funaki Adams was born in Rotorua, New Zealand into a remarkable athletic family — his half-sisters Valerie and Lisa Adams won Olympic and Paralympic shot-put gold. He played one season at Pittsburgh before Oklahoma City drafted him 12th in 2013, and built a decade-long career as one of the league's most physical interior players.

After stops in Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Memphis, he was traded to Houston in 2024. Widely considered the strongest man in the NBA, he provides bruising screens, offensive rebounding, and interior toughness — though a season-ending ankle injury cut his 2025-26 short in January.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Adams comes from one of the most extraordinary athletic families in the world: one of 18 children, he was raised in New Zealand after losing his English father, and his half-sister Valerie Adams is a two-time Olympic shot-put champion, one of the greatest field athletes ever. That toughness and humility define him — a gentle giant off the court and a bruiser on it.

His identity is elemental physicality: punishing screens, elite offensive rebounding, and interior defense, all powered by a strength reputation unmatched in the league. On a young, athletic Rockets team, his veteran toughness and screen-setting were a valuable complement — when healthy — anchoring second units and setting a physical tone.

PERSONALITY

The person

A powerful, physical interior center — elite screening, offensive rebounding, and toughness.

Strongest in the NBAWidely regarded as the league's strongest player.
Offensive rebounderOne of the best on the offensive glass, generating extra possessions.
Bruising screenerSets punishing screens and sets a physical tone.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Physical Backup Center
Temperament
Vet
Leadership
58/100
Scoring51
Playmaking38
Rebounding87
Perimeter D50
Rim protection84
Spacing35
Athleticism70
Clutch59
a physical, offensive-rebounding backup center
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Physicality and second chances

Adams's value is elemental: punishing screens, elite offensive rebounding, and interior toughness that generate extra possessions and set a physical tone. On a young Rockets team, his veteran strength complemented the athletes around him — a bruising change-of-pace big whose availability, cut short by injury in 2025-26, is the main variable.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-263222.85.88.61.5.504

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

ReputationWidely considered the strongest player in the NBA
FamilyHalf-brother of two-time Olympic shot-put champion Valerie Adams
2025-26Season ended in January by ankle surgery

Hardware

1×
All-Rookie Second Team (2014)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A physical veteran center — screening, offensive rebounding, and toughness for Houston, health permitting.

A veteran interior presence, Adams gives the Rockets bruising screens, offensive rebounding, and physicality behind their young core. Health is the variable after a season-ending 2025-26 ankle injury, but his toughness and second-chance value remain useful.

Strength / physicalityElite
Offensive reboundingElite
ScreeningElite
Health / mobilityConcern

Contract

Role
Backup C physical
Trait
Strength screener
Age
32 veteran
Bottom line

The strongest man in the NBA — bruising screens, offensive rebounding, and toughness. A valuable physical complement for Houston's young athletes when healthy.

FAQ

Quick answers

Is Steven Adams related to Valerie Adams?

Yes — his half-sister Valerie Adams is a two-time Olympic shot-put champion; the Adamses are a remarkable athletic family from New Zealand.

What is Steven Adams known for?

Physicality — he's widely considered the strongest player in the NBA, an elite screener and offensive rebounder.

How did Steven Adams join the Rockets?

Houston acquired him from Memphis in a February 2024 trade.