- Originally published May 7 2014 - 

They’re calling him “Stone Cold Steve Adams”. Bill Simmons awarded him the Most Likely to be Punched award leading into the playoffs. Well, he was. By Zach Randolph, and it cost Z-Bo the chance to play in the crucial game 7 which his Memphis team ultimately lost in and were thus eliminated. Grantland.com even put together this story on who is most likely to lash out at the stoic kiwi next in the series against the Clippers.

Steven Adams plays hard and he plays tough. He’s a little ungainly but he has insanely good figures in contested rebounds. For whatever reason, he seems to rile up opposition players like no-one else, and has seen himself on the receiving end of five different retaliations that have led to fines or suspensions. And in the process has become an internet legend for his casual way of taking the hits without any fuss at all. Here is the complete list of offenders:

NATE ROBINSON

OKC Thunder 109-81 Denver Nuggets (Preseason)

October 15 2013

Nate Robinson is known as a bit of a fiery individual. In this preseason game, the diminutive guard found himself running into an unmovable Steven Adams and he lashed out as Adams looks for a possible rebound. When Adams is completely unfazed by the push, he hits him again across the chest as the kiwi strolls down the court after the play. Hilariously Big Stevie didn’t even seem to notice, though the referee did. Whistle blown. Foul called.

Robinson was ejected and fined $10,000

VINCE CARTER

Mavericks 93-107 Thunder

November 6 2013

Competing for a rebound under the Dallas basket after a Jeremy Lamb miss (shocking, I know…), Adams inadvertently swings an elbow into Carter’s head as he fights to secure possession. Carter is furious, as much as anything at the referees for the non-call. So as Adams kicks it out, Carter jabs him with his own elbow. Stevie takes the blow with barely a flinch, and even as the refs call the flagrant foul, he’s looking for the rebound from Ibaka’s missed shot. The Adams elbow should have been an offensive foul, really. So after review, he picked up a technical himself, though Carter was the one bounced for his retaliation.

Carter was ejected and served a 1 game suspension.

JORDAN HAMILTON

Thunder 105-93 Nuggets

December 17 2013

Easily the softest of the lot of them. Hamilton runs into Adams as both players make their way down court. Adams took a step back and perhaps Hamilton thought he’d done it on purpose, so with his team down by 10 and no doubt frustrated, he swings back an arm towards Kid Kiwi. He barely touched him, but based on the intent, Hamilton was sent packing and given a suspension. Adams didn’t react in the slightest.

Hamilton was ejected and served a 1 game suspension.

LARRY SANDERS

Bucks 85-101 Thunder

January 11 2014

Adams runs into the paint setting up for a potential rebounds as Reggie Jackson shoots a long two. Sanders is there waiting for him, with an arm outstretched to try keep him at bay. Except that Steven Adams is always ready for the physical stuff, and runs right through it, bumping Sanders off. Sanders takes some exception, and pushes his elbow up into Adams’ face. Adams pushes him off and Sanders has another go. Bucks forward Khris Middleton breaks them up in case of any trouble. There is no sign of retaliation from Adams though as the whistle is blown. He just casually walks over to the bench and waits for the next play to start.

Starting to get a reputation for being able to calmly take the hardest hits, Adams was asked by a reporter where he learned to take such a beating. “Have you seen my sister?” he replied, “Look her up, bro.”

Sanders was ejected and fined $2,000

ZACH RANDOLPH

Thunder 104-84 Grizzlies

May 1 2014

Having given Randolph a tough time with his defence off the bench in spurts throughout the series, Z-Bo finally snapped in game 6. After bumping into Adams as the OKC centre held his ground trying to box Randolph out of a rebound, the pair turned to head down the other end in transition they seemed to get tangled up. Tough to say what triggered it, and no doubt they both have opposite views, but Randolph pulls his arm free and turns and shoves Adams forcefully away. Adams stumbles a bit and before catching his balance (Zach Randolph is an enormous man, by the way). Z-Bo stomps over and gives him a jawing as a referee gets between them. Afterwards the kiwi said the incident was a shame, as Zach Randolph is a player who he really looks up to.

The Thunder went on to comfortably take the next game with Randolph (arguably the Grizz’s best and most important player) suspended, and advanced to face the Clippers in round two. A team with a few notable aggressors, which begs the question: Who’ll be next…?

Randolph was suspended for the decisive game 7 in the Thunder vs Grizzlies 1st round playoff series.

NICK "SWAGGY P" YOUNG

Thunder 104-103 Lakers

December 19 2014

And so the list continues into Stevie's sophomore season. The first man suckered in by the stoic Tall Black of 2014/15 was none other than Swaggy P; infallibly confident shooter, boyfriend of Iggy Azalea and the only man in the Lakers' organisation not outwardly terrified of Kobe Bryant.

With the Thunder nursing a small lead early in the fourth quarter, Adams sets a screen, determined by the officials to be an illegal one (Adams said later he didn't agree with the call). Young and Adams get tangled up a little, and the Swagmeister throws an elbow to the throat of the kiwi. Flagrant 2 and an early shower. The Thunder went on to win (with Westbrook but still without Durant) by one as Kobe Bryant couldn't land the game-winner with time expiring.

Afterwards Nick Young called Adams a "sneaky dirty player", while acknowledging that he should have been more composed. 

"Just little hits here and there, when they're coming off screens, he'll stick his knee out and stuff like that. I'm not here to tell on him or anything like that. He's doing his job. He did his job today to get me out of the game. That's what they put him in the game to do." - Nick Young on Steven Adams

Asked if he was getting used to these things happening, Steven Adams just laughed.

Young was ejected and fined a customary $2,000