MEMPHIS — He was part of the many trades made by the Grizzlies this offseason,
Steven Adams, an eight year NBA veteran, is coming to Memphis from New Orleans as part of the Jonas Valanciunas trade.
So what is Adams, the almost 7-footer out of New Zealand, first impression of his new team?
“Everybody’s bloody young mate. Everyone’s young but other than that, same boat. We’re here to play basketball,” Adams said. “That’s how we communicate, through that. Get to know everyone.”
“He’s excited about what we’re building here and the huge part that he’s going to be,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “You all know his history and stuff but he loves the game of basketball. He loves just being around a great group of people. He’s going to be a great fit for us.”
Adams is well aware of his history here…and it’s not the good kind.
“My reputation here is not that great, I don’t think, because ZBo (Zach Randolph) punched me in the face when I was a rookie and then you guys lost game 7 because of it. Just to bring up some old stuff. I definitely remember the type of battles because it was real gritty teams back then. I think I have a pretty good idea, playing against them. I’m new here so I gotta see what it’s like to actually be a part of it.”