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Steven Adams came out strong for the OKC Thunder in their first scrimmage in Orlando.
Steven Adams, who chose the Māori phrase “Kia Kaha” as the shirt’s message for the resumption of the NBA season in Orlando, made a first statement in the first of the Oklahoma City Thunder warm-up scenes.
Adams scored 17 points in the first half and seven rebounds in just 15 minutes when the Thunder defeated the Boston Celtics 98-84 in the first of a series of pre-season scrimmages in the NBA Orlando bubble at the Disney World resort.
The 27-year-old New Zealander did not appear in the second half of the first quarter of quarter, part of the NBA’s preparatory program for the resumption of the actual season on July 31 (New Zealand time).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also scored 17 points for OKC, while Abdel Nader added 11 points in 5-of-9 by shooting before leaving the game after hitting his head on the floor. It was included in the concussion protocol.
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It was the Thunder’s first game since their last regular season release on March 11, before the league closed to face the Covid-19 virus. The NBA is recovering with 22 teams in Orlando playing eight games each to determine the final seed before turning into a full four-round post-season playoff schedule.
The most notable of all the minutes played by OKC Thunder players has been the return to action of Thunder swingman Andre Roberson (5 points in 2-of-3 shots) who has recorded his first game since it took 30 months to face a debilitating knee injury. It last appeared on January 27, 2018.
Thunder coach Billy Donovan was delighted with the first outing and particularly praised Adams’ endurance and strength. He said the Kiwi’s work during the shutdown in New Zealand had clearly paid off.
Adams had some fun with his longtime friend, colleague “Stache Brother” and former teammate Enes Kanter during the game. Kanter is now with the Celtics.
The Kiwi jokingly whistled Kanter and his teammates when they ran to the ground and subsequently “threatened” to punch his good friend on the nose as they left the field.
The Thunder ‘next scrimmage will be against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday (NZT).
Adams, meanwhile, has revealed that he will be racing with Kia Kaha (Stay Strong) on the back of his shirt when the season officially resumes. Each NBA player is allowed to have pre-approved social justice messages on the back of the shirts for the rest of this season.
Adams’ choice of a sentence from the native language of his native New Zealand is remarkable. He is sure to make the shirt a great seller in his home country.
The international Thunder trick was reflected when the 14 Orlando players chose five languages to express their special messages.
Here is what Thunder players chose:
Steven Adams: Kia Kaha (Maori for “Stay Strong”)
Hamidou Diallo: Black Lives Matter
Luguentz there: Respekte Nou (Haitian Creole for “Respect us”)
Terrance Ferguson: Black Lives Matter
Danilo Gallinari: Justice (Italian for “justice”)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Equality
Devon Hall: love us
Kevin Hervey: Shalom (Hebrew for “Peace”)
Mike Muscala: Peace
Abdel Nader: Peace
Nerlens Noel: Equality
Chris Paul: Equality
Andre Roberson: I’m a man
Dennis Schroder: Black Lives Matter
