Steven Adams lifts Tony Bradley away from fight. Photo / Twitter
Steven Adams has once again shown why he is considered to be one of the strongest – and most likeable – players in the NBA.
As a scuffle broke out between Adams' Memphis Grizzlies teammate Ja Morant and Chicago Bulls centre Tony Bradley, the Kiwi centre stepped in to act as peacemaker in the most Steven Adams way possible by grabbing Bradley and lifting him away from the scene of the scrap.
Tempers flared in the fourth quarter of the NBA matchup, with Morant perceiving that Bradley had deliberately tripped him as he drove into the paint.
Pushing and shoving ensued, until Adams quickly swerved into the middle of the fight to, quite literally, carry the 2.08m (6ft 10in), 112kg Bradley away from the situation.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.Both Morant and Bradley ended up receiving technical fouls by the referees.
Video of the incident would end up going viral on social media, with NBA fans marvelling at Adams' strength – and temperament.
They will change his name from Steven Adams to the Kiwi Killer, have him lose all three matches in a Jinder Mahal feud and then release him.
— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) January 18, 2022
Strongest man in the NBA and his sister is a two time gold medalist in the shot put. Nice way to diffuse a situation and good decision by Bradley to let it be.
— Greg Shepherd (@gshepherd1527) January 17, 2022
Adams might be the most likable player in the league love this dude
— BigStepper (@Yannik2407) January 17, 2022
Even the American TV commentators, Brian Anderson and Stan Van Gundy, seemed stunned by the sheer strength and power of Adams.
Speaking on the NBA on TNT broadcast, Anderson said: "Bradley wasn't going to let Morant go until Adams let him go. Everybody's grabbing on to somebody."
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.Van Gundy replied: "But Bradley didn't have a choice. Steven Adams decided to end that grasp."
Anderson: "There is no stronger man in the NBA than Steven Adams."
Van Gundy: "There certainly is not. And I think we saw that right there."
Anderson: "He literally picked his feet up off the ground to get him moving. That was a sumo move."
This isn't the first time Adams, who is known for his physicality and brutal screens, has shown off his strength in the NBA.
Adams' first coach at the Oklahoma City Thunder, Scott Brooks, labelled the 2.11m centre as "the strongest, most physical guy in the league".
Fellow NBA players have also spoken about Adams' strength in the past.
"He's like from Krypton or something. He's strong," NBA superstar Jimmy Butler said back in 2018. "He hit me with one screen today and I thought my life was over."
The Grizzlies ended up beating the Bulls 119-106 to move to 31-15 for the season, with Adams contributing 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in the victory.
