As someone with 12 years of experience in the NBA, Houston Rockets big man Steven Adams has seen a lot happen, especially when it comes to player movement. From undrafted players making names for themselves to talented All-Stars who continue to thrive late in their careers, the Big Kiwi has been privy to numerous developments.
Unfortunately, that includes a fair share of players who were unable to stick in the big leagues simply because they failed to keep the main thing — the main thing: basketball.
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The NBA is an entirely different world
Born in Rotorua, New Zealand, a small city home to an estimated 58,000 people, Adams admitted to feeling a little shellshocked when he entered the NBA in 2013, after the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the 12th pick.
Having grown up in a frugal household, sharing a home with many siblings, Adams commented that joining the Association was like landing on a different planet. With many teammates living lavish lives due to their massive paychecks, the 6’11” big man was shocked to see people spending money like it was nothing.
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“It’s definitely a different world, bro. Especially being from Rotorua. Yeah, it’s a way different experience,” Adams recalled.
Despite the eye-opening experience, Adams stuck to what he knew best and what got him to the NBA in the first place: his unrelenting work ethic, which shows up in how he goes into the paint and battles for rebounds.
“A lot of it still essentially comes down to the same things. You still have to show up and work. Your work ethic, your discipline — all that stuff needs to be refined regardless of money or whatever,” Adams explained. “Especially when you’re trying to accomplish a goal, that stuff can’t waver at all.”
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A lot of players forget the basics
The life of an NBA athlete can be kingly. From receiving large sums of money to play, being waited on from head to foot by an army of trainers, doctors and therapists, to being pursued by companies for sponsorship opportunities, it’s fairly reasonable for stars to accrue generational wealth by making smart decisions.
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Unfortunately, Adams noted that many athletes often don’t make smart decisions, whether it’s with their finances or their basketball careers. Instead of staying in the gym to hone their craft, they spend more time in nightclubs or whatnot, wasting both their money and time.
And before they realize what has happened, they’re already out of the NBA, trying to find jobs in the G League or in foreign leagues.
“What I see with a lot of players is they love basketball, then they come into the NBA and fall in love with the lifestyle,”Adams furthered. “Then basketball becomes secondary, and you start to see them decline. Then they’re out of the league.”
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“There’s millions of dollars, fame, and all this sort of stuff. But at the bare bones of it, it comes back to what got you there in the first place, mate — your focus, your discipline, your attention to detail, all that hard work,” he continued. “So that stuff can’t change. If you lose that, then it’s probably not a good thing, mate.”
Judging from the fact that Adams is still in the league and signed a three-year, $39-million deal in 2025, he must be doing something right. And young players would be wise to take note of how Steven has remained relevant this deep into his career.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.