Steven Adams has been an intimidating force in the middle of the Thunder defense since getting drafted No. 12 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. He’s big at 7-foot, 265 pounds and sports a large Polynesian tattoo on his right arm.
The body ink features his middle name Funaki on his right forearm, according to Tattooino. Adams explained in a press conference that in his native country of New Zealand, people get unique tattoos that relate to family-specific traditions and values.
Despite his fair complexion, Adams is biracial, as his father Sid was English and his mother Lilika Ngauamo hails from Tonga, a small island in the South Pacific. This is confirmed by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst:
His 6-11 father, Sid, had children with five women — Adams’ mother is Tongan, a native of a small island in the South Pacific. Sid was in his 60s at the time of Steven’s birth. By the time Adams got to know him, Sid was worn down from life and battered from a car accident that had severely damaged his legs.
With the loss of his father hitting him hard, Adams dropped out of high school to join a local street gang called the Mongrel Mob. His brother Warren finally stepped in and forced him to go to focus on school and basketball in Wellington. Per the New York Post:
“When I lost my dad, that was a big hit for me,’’ Adams told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I didn’t have that parental guidance, and I kind of took advantage of it because I was a stupid idiot.”
Eventually Warren — who had played on the New Zealand National Team — took him to live with him in Wellington. He got him into an academy run by former teammate Kenny McFadden, and the latter arranged for a scholarship to posh Scots College.
That mentorship from his brother continued to pay off, eventually landing him an NCAA scholarship with Pitt for the 2011-12 season. He averaged over 7 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks for the Panthers to earn his spot in Oklahoma City.
While he’s spent much of the last decade in the States, he’s a Kiwi at heart. He finally got to return home earlier this year, and was filled with nostalgia, according to the New Zealand Herald.
But admitting to feeling homesick after not being able to fit in a trip home to New Zealand, Adams revealed how his brother and brother’s partner prepared a unique taste of New Zealand to lift the Kiwi star’s spirits.
“[My brother’s] missus threw down a boil up, it was sick bro,” Adams told The Project.
“She found watercress at one of the grocery stores – watercress! I was like what?”
The dish went down a treat for the Kiwi basketballer, who said although he often missed New Zealand, still managed to feel right at home in Oklahoma City.
“I just wish the islands were a bit closer,” he said. “[But] the people here are really nice, and they remind me of people back home.”
Nga mihi aroha Aotearoa, New Zealand. Shocked and saddened to hear about the tragedy in Christchurch. Sending my aroha to the whanau back home particularly to those that have lost loved ones. #Peace #Theyareus
This love of his homeland extended to the recent shooting at the mosque in Christchurch. He took to social media to make several statements, including a tweet with terms in Maori that means “thanks for New Zealand.”
From his tattoos to his parents to that gesture, Adams feels a deep connection to his homeland, even when he’s halfway across the globe.
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Steven Adams Nationality, Ethnicity & Background