Wearing a Thunder blue Steven Adams jersey, Graham Hoete crouched down with a can of spray paint in each hand. He handed one to a 7-year-old Piedmont boy and his 5-year-old brother, then posed in front of his masterpiece.
As the sun bore down on hundreds of Thunder fans on Sheridan Avenue, Hoete granted their every photo request. Smiles. Thumbs up. Serious faces with sunglasses. Arms crossed. You couldn't tell the New Zealander was running on about six hours of sleep in three days.
A small sacrifice for such a large endeavor. The 37-year-old Kiwi invited Oklahomans to The Paramount in downtown Oklahoma City to see his finished work — a massive spray-painted mural of Adams that'll loom over the Film Row district for years to come.