Accents are fun. They’re a window into the different ways languages are taught and learned all over the world. Almost no accent stands out like that of New Zealand and Australia. When the two meet, it sets the stage for something that sounds incredible despite being incredibly mundane. So when Steven Adams started talking, only to notice an Australian reporter is the stands, he had to say something.
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Adams was born and raised in New Zealand. He first played for the NBL Wellington Saints for free in order to maintain his college eligibility before moving to the US to play at Pitt. He was drafted by the OKC Thunder in 2013 to play alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The Big Kiwi, as some announcers call him, is now in his 12th year of NBA play and on his fourth team. He was derailed for two seasons and got traded around after electing a nonsurgical method of injury recovery, but he is now a trusted starter and vital leader for the incredibly young Houston Rockets.
The comments on that interview clip are full of people loving Adams for his accent and matter-of-fact way of speaking. One fan said, “As an Aussie, I respect Steven Adams for this,” while other fans are simply claiming Adams is Australian, no matter how false that is.
Most agree with that they “can’t even hate on him,” as this fan called Adams “the best personality in the NBA.” In a league that includes Anthony Edwards, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s an incredibly bold claim, but I certainly won’t argue against it.
Adams was instrumental in forcing Game 7 and will look to help push the Rockets to the second round of the NBA Playoffs back in Houston tomorrow, Sunday, May 4th.
