November 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\nFor Rockets fans at home, it was a sign that their bruising reserve center was starting to look like the younger version of himself.<\/p>\n
Only one person wasn\u2019t moved by the viral highlight: Steven Adams.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are like, \u2018Oh he can dunk!\u2019\u201d Adams halfheartedly told The Athletic in a one-on-one interview last month. \u201cI\u2019m 7-feet, bro. That doesn\u2019t mean s\u2014.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adams has never attached success to his numbers in the box score or his highlights on YouTube. But that game and others have been about Adams showing off the kind of athleticism many thought he\u2019d lost after years of nagging knee issues derailed his career.\u00a0One of the league\u2019s most unique role players has pushed past the injuries and reclaimed his form on a team with serious NBA title aspirations.<\/p>\n
And he\u2019s not just another guy in the rotation. Adams exemplifies what makes the Rockets different from other Western Conference challengers.<\/p>\n
He developed a deeper appreciation for smaller wins during one of the darkest stretches of his career. These flashy plays are good for everyone else to embrace. But in his eyes, the work that he\u2019s done along the way is where he takes the most pride.<\/p>\n
After playing seven seasons in Oklahoma City and one in New Orleans, Adams found a new home as the starting center of a Memphis Grizzlies team that was on the rise. Adams was beginning to show he could still be a force on a winning team, even when he wasn\u2019t surrounded by legendary talents like Durant and Russell Westbrook, both then with the Thunder.<\/p>\n
After diving for a loose ball during a game in January 2023, Adams experienced sharp pain in his right knee. Doctors diagnosed him with a sprain in his posterior cruciate ligament. The typical recovery timeline for such an injury is three to five weeks.<\/p>\n
As the weeks went by, however, Adams was still experiencing pain. His knee wasn\u2019t responding the way the medical staff anticipated. To assist with the healing process, he received a stem cell injection in his knee, effectively eliminating any chance of his return during the rest of the 2022-23 season.<\/p>\n
Without Adams, the second-seeded Grizzlies were eliminated in the first round by the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n
As Adams ramped up his rehabilitation during the summer, there was optimism in Memphis that he\u2019d be ready for the start of the following season. Adams played in a few preseason games and seemed to be doing well. But as the regular season approached, his knee still wasn\u2019t responding the way he hoped.<\/p>\n
In an effort to fully address the issue, Adams elected to undergo surgery on his PCL, which would sideline him for the entire 2023-24 season.<\/p>\n
In February 2024, the Grizzlies traded Adams to the Rockets in exchange for Victor Oladipo and three future second-round picks. In one year, Adams went from an essential piece of the Grizzlies\u2019 core to a player they salary-dumped before the trade deadline.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were times when it f\u2014ing sucked. It was no easy road,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of pressure you put on yourself, and the rehab gets really tedious from day to day.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Adams worked his way back, his trainers helped him focus on every detail to rebuild his knee and make sure the nagging issues that once sidelined him were a thing of the past.\u00a0Adams said he even had to learn how to walk again to retrain his mind and body.<\/p>\n
At times, the mental toll was a bigger obstacle than the physical pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt kind of feels like you\u2019re taking a test,\u201d Adams said. \u201cYou\u2019ll be more mentally exhausted than physically. Again, it\u2019s just walking. It\u2019s not like you\u2019re pushing 500 pounds or something. But you will be mentally drained at the end because of the amount of concentration it takes to get the patterns right and repeating those patterns that are healthy and efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adams learned that progress isn\u2019t always linear. Some days, he\u2019d feel amazing; a few days later, it would feel like he was back to square one. During those times, he had to learn the importance of embracing the small wins, even if they didn\u2019t feel like much.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was some range-of-motion stuff that took a long time to recover. You might see an improvement of one or two degrees over two months,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIt\u2019s very tiny, but those are still huge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about redefining a win and being happy with those wins once you get there. But as you make those improvements, you learn how to be more efficient with your movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
That attention to detail bled over to Adams\u2019 workout regimens in the weight room. This is part of the reason why his November sequence in Utah wasn\u2019t as much of a thrill for him.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n Injuries have put hurdles in front of Steven Adams, but at 32, he\u2019s been able to bounce back and play a significant role on both ends of the court for the Houston Rockets. (Alex Slitz \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
What really energized Adams was showing a new level of flexibility during his workouts. Building up strength in his core and in his legs. Being able to test his body\u2019s limits in ways he couldn\u2019t the previous day. That\u2019s where the real progress was felt.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody gets excited about a dunk. For me, it\u2019s more about pushing myself in the weight room to see the biggest difference,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIt\u2019s more like, \u2018Can you get into this position? Can you get out of that position effectively?\u2019 That\u2019s how you can make sure you avoid certain instances when you\u2019re at risk of reinjury. It\u2019s about moving properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once he got past all those hurdles, it was time to prove he could still be the same player he once was.<\/p>\n
Adams was finally cleared to get back on the court at the start of the 2024-25 season, but doctors were still very cautious to make sure he wasn\u2019t overworking himself.<\/p>\n
He was limited to playing five-minute stretches with no back-to-backs. If there was any concern about how his body was responding, he was held out. He didn\u2019t play more than 20 minutes in a game until late January of last year.<\/p>\n
In Ime Udoka\u2019s first year as head coach in Houston, the Rockets were one of the surprise teams in the West, and Adams was one of the new veterans who helped bring a professional mindset to a locker room filled with young, unproven players.<\/p>\n
Rather than viewing Adams as an aging veteran, Udoka understood his value to the team was greater than what he could do on the court. His presence in the locker room was pivotal, and as he got healthier, having a high-IQ player with so much experience was invaluable.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s really good in his own way. He does it a little bit differently with his leadership style,\u201d Udoka said. \u201cHe says it in his own way. It\u2019s probably a cultural thing. He\u2019s very direct and blunt. You love to have that from some of your veteran players. His leadership style is different, but it\u2019s very valuable to the group.\u201d<\/p>\n
As doctors cleared him to play more, Udoka leaned on Adams to become more of a presence on the court. Late in the season, Udoka found a combination that intrigued him and gave his team the toughness he was looking for in the middle.<\/p>\n
While much of the league was trending smaller and faster, the Rockets began unveiling jumbo lineups, with Adams playing alongside All-Star center Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn. While spacing was a concern, \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s elite passing skills made it easier for them to operate together, and having Adams on the floor allowed \u015eeng\u00fcn to focus on his offense and leave all the dirty work to Adams.<\/p>\n
Those double-big lineups played a major role in Houston pushing the Golden State Warriors to seven games during an intense first-round playoff series. Although \u015eeng\u00fcn and Adams gave Houston a distinct size advantage Golden State had no answer for, it still wasn\u2019t enough to overcome Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. The Rockets were eliminated after a 52-win season.<\/p>\n
Despite the loss, Houston left the series knowing they had discovered something that could be sustainable and dangerous in the right matchup.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew this was going to be our identity going into next season,\u201d \u015eeng\u00fcn told The Athletic in November. \u201cWe want to push teams around, be tougher, more physical. Having Steven is a key part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heading into the 2025-26 season, Adams went through a full offseason without any setbacks. He came in ready to pick up where he left off, and he was joined by a familiar face in Houston: Durant, his former Thunder teammate.<\/p>\n
Durant\u2019s arrival transformed Houston from a fun, up-and-coming team to one with a championship-or-bust mindset. Having reliable role players like Adams in the fold makes those aspirations even more realistic.<\/p>\n
Houston doubled down on its commitment to Adams being part of this team\u2019s future by signing him to a three-year, $39 million extension in June that would keep him in Houston through the 2027-28 season. No one was happier to see Adams\u2019 new deal than the guy he\u2019d be theoretically competing with for minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m the (starting) center for this team. Any other center in this league wouldn\u2019t be happy (with the team) signing another good center,\u201d \u015eeng\u00fcn said in December. \u201cThis summer, when we signed Steven, I was so happy. Playing with him and the way he brings the toughness on this team \u2026 he\u2019s huge for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
As important as Durant has become to the Rockets\u2019 success, Adams may be the player who best embodies this team\u2019s identity. The Rockets take pride in being the bully on the block. They don\u2019t want to play a pretty brand of basketball. They\u2019d rather challenge opponents to a wrestling match with no holds barred.<\/p>\n
More specifically, Houston has used that mentality to become one of the most dominant offensive rebounding teams the NBA has ever seen. And Adams, one of the greatest offensive rebounders in league history, leads the charge with that approach.<\/p>\n
Per Cleaning The Glass, Adams has grabbed 21.4 percent of Houston\u2019s missed field goals when he\u2019s on the floor, which would be a career high. Only the New York Knicks\u2019 Mitchell Robinson grabs a higher percentage of his own team\u2019s misses this year.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n Steven Adams and Cleveland Cavaliers big Evan Mobley fight for a loose ball during a December game at Toyota Center. Adams is one of the NBA\u2019s best offensive rebounders. (Troy Taormina\/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
At 32, Adams is still relentless in the paint. Udoka even described him as \u201cspry and youthful.\u201d With Adams leading the way, Houston leads the NBA with a 39.3 offensive rebounding percentage, per Cleaning The Glass. That\u2019s four percentage points higher than the team with the second-highest offensive rebound rate, the Detroit Pistons.<\/p>\n
Even when he plays in short stints, Adams can flip the tenor of a game in a few minutes by throwing people around under the basket and creating second-chance opportunities. He sets the tone with his physicality and unselfishness.<\/p>\n
Houston tried relying on a heavy dose of jumbo lineups earlier this season, which included starting Adams and \u015eeng\u00fcn together on opening night against the defending-champion Thunder. They\u2019ve gone away from it some in recent weeks, as Adams and \u015eeng\u00fcn have both dealt with minor injuries, but the Rockets know it\u2019s a weapon they can use whenever they want to push around smaller teams.<\/p>\n
Through 26 games, Adams is averaging six points and 8.5 rebounds while averaging a little more than 22 minutes per game. The Rockets will ask him to step up even more in the coming weeks, as \u015eeng\u00fcn is expected to be sidelined for 10 to 14 days with a sprained ankle.<\/p>\n
The Rockets can lose their All-Star center and replace him with one who helps maintain the team\u2019s identity and produces at a starter level.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got so much respect for Steven and the work he\u2019s done to be a guy that\u2019s still a valuable piece at this stage in his career,\u201d Durant told The Athletic. \u201cWith his style of play, it ain\u2019t easy. He\u2019s down there fighting under the basket and throwing his body around every game. That stuff adds up after a while. But he puts the work in, and he really loves the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe really loves sacrificing for the team. Those are the guys you always want next to you when you go to battle.\u201d<\/p>\n
With expectations higher in Houston, Adams has learned to embrace each minute on the court \u2014 because he was forced to face his basketball mortality much sooner than he expected.<\/p>\n
But much like he\u2019s done most of his career, Adams is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. Now, he has the tools to understand how to get the most from his body and keep performing at a higher level despite being in the latter stages of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a never-ending thing. This is the stuff that happens to your body; you\u2019ve got to manage it for the rest of your life,\u201d Adams said. \u201cBut I love playing. I love being part of this team. That\u2019s just the cost of it.\u201d<\/p>\n