OKC Thunder: The trademark moves of Steven Adams

The OKC Thunder’s Big Kiwi Steven Adams is a menace under the rim and a former rugby playing hooper who developed some trademark moves we love to see.

OKC Thunder Center Steven Adams really could excel in other sports besides basketball. He played rugby as a kid in his home country of New Zealand, and he often displays the skills and physicality of an American Football player.

He can turn famous basketball moves into his own and though it’s fun to watch for fans, those that are facing him are always in for a challenge.

Here are some of Adams’ best trademark moves.

The Kiwi Step:

https://twitter.com/BR_NBA/status/1210374916597403648

The Kiwi Step derives from the euro step but Adams does it in a unique way. As he drives to the basket his big stature allows him to get over defenders. He takes massive leaps and then finishes with a nice one-handed layup.

It’s all force when Adams is going to the rim whether it be dunking or fighting for rebounds. This particular move definitely shows that but is also one of the very few moves that he doesn’t have to come in contact with you to come out on top.

Last year, he pulled out the Kiwi step in a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks and the reaction from his teammates on the bench was priceless as they began mimicking him.

You can also see the improvement of Adams from last season to this season in terms of improving the step. His speed has picked up and he can do it off no look passes.

Quarterback pass:

The Quarterback pass is dangerous especially with the strength of Adams to be on the other side of the court and hurl the ball all the way to his teammate on the other end. It’s incredible how far he can pass.

It’s gotten people saying that Adams is “my quarterback.” One of the most impressive full court passes from him came in the last second of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last December.

Adams knew there wouldn’t be enough time so he used his great court vision to ferociously inbound the ball and give Dennis Schroder the chance to tie the game with the score being 122-120 to Minnesota. Ever since that game, I’ve had it on repeat.

Hook shot:

The skyhook was made prominent by the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Adams’ doesn’t have the exact same way of implementing it as the NBA legend, but it is still an amazing move that he has in his arsenal. 

Adams’ long arms make it even harder for defenders to limit his makes on this move. This also gives him a bit of versatility in the paint and is an advantage for the Thunder.

Crushing screens:

Many players around the league have talked about how tough Adams is when he’s setting screens.

It looks like a brick wall as Adams is so good at holding his ground and waiting for his opponent to run at him. You can trust that he will protect his OKC Thunder teammates.

Though Adams is aggressive on the floor, he does show sportsmanship on it as well. He was one of six players nominated for the NBA Sportsmanship Award in the last two seasons.

So for him its a balance and the best of both worlds. That’s our Kiwi.