NBA star Steven Adams spent Covid-19 lockdown working on a farm near Rotorua - 'Cows are doing good'

July 3, 2020

Steven Adams has revealed he spent the NBA's Covid-19 suspension in New Zealand, spending most of his time working on a farm to keep in shape.

Adams picked up where he left off with NBA media this morning in yet another entertaining press conference, albeit this time being online rather than in person as the league prepares to return in a competition bubble later this month.

Approximately 80 reporters joined the conference to ask questions and listen to Adams, who revealed he has spent the last few months in New Zealand while the NBA has been on hiatus.

The NBA suspended its season within 24 hours of the first case among players being confirmed back in March – a too-close-for-comfort moment for Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder who had their game against the Jazz stopped seconds before tip-off because it was later revealed Utah centre Rudy Gobert was the infected player.

Once he was cleared, Adams was soon on a flight home to New Zealand.

“It’s everyone’s first instinct when there’s a world crisis going on that you want to be near family,” Adams said.

After his 14 days of self-isolation, Adams spent most of his time in his hometown Rotorua on a farm where he said he was still getting some physical work in.

“I was boxing out cows and all that, bro,” Adams said.

“It was relaxing. mate. I was on the farm doing farm work, got a bit of a farmer’s tan going on for a little bit,” he added.

“The cows are doing good.”

When he wasn’t practicing against cows, he was doing so with people in Wellington although it was under mandatory physical distancing measures and safety precautions for public places imposed by the Thunder.

Adams praised his fellow Kiwis and New Zealand’s authorities for how Covid-19 has been handled.

“We have a really good healthcare system,” Adams said.

“For the most part, New Zealanders are quite compliant with rules. Collectively, all the Kiwis did a good job with it.”

Adams has since returned to the US and is training with his Thunder teammates for the NBA’s return at Disney World in Florida on July 30.

The theme park and nearby resorts and venues will be the home for Adams, the Thunder and 21 other teams for the next few months – a feat the Kiwi centre is blown away by.

“Everyone that’s making his thing work has done a tremendous job of this,” Adams noted. “This is ridiculous what’s actually happening like they’re pulling it off. It’s insane the amount of moving parts. It’s well played.”

Adams and the Thunder resume their season on August 1, coincidentally against the Jazz.

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