SI.com · Feb 14, 2019
Steven Adams is Much More Than the NBA’s Strongest Man
Long before the signature ponytail, before the sleeve of tattoos down his right arm, before being dubbed the NBA’s strongest man, Thunder center Steven Adams faced off against teammate Nerlens Noel at the BABC Holiday Classic in Boston in 2012. Noel was the nation’s No. 1 prospect out of the Tilton School in New Hampshire, set to attend Kentucky in 2013. Adams came to America a year earlier, joining Notre Dame Preparatory School in Fitchburg, Mass. after graduating from Scotts College in Wellington, New Zealand. It was the first battle between the now-teammates, and a matchup Noel says he’ll never forget.