Twelve NBA seasons in, most centers start planning their exit. Steven Adams, the Houston Rockets veteran big man, is doing the opposite, and his latest comments make that stance impossible to ignore.

In an interview with the New Zealand Herald's YouTube channel, Adams addressed how much longer he intends to keep playing.

"I'll play as long as I can," Adams said. "I just love it; the competition is so high. You get such a rush; there's nothing like it. You get to really get immediate feedback if you're good enough to beat a team."

This determination holds some weight considering his previous injury records. Adams was sidelined for 156 games over the past three seasons, including a Grade 3 ankle sprain that cut short his 2025-26 season after only 32 games.

The injury itself explains everything. Adams got the ankle sprain on January 18, 2026, during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans as he attempted to block a shot near the basket.

Although he did have a tough season, the production that Adams put up prior to suffering the injury is the reason why Houston still holds value for him.

He averaged 5.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in 22.8 minutes, as well as 4.5 offensive rebounds per game.

Adams has also talked about what keeps him motivated in conditioning even with all the strain on his body.

"I've been looking after my body as much as I can because I mainly do it just for after basketball, so I can still be functional and not move around too badly," he added on New Zealand Herald's YouTube channel.

Houston’s main concern with Adams is availability and not production. He has proven that he can contribute to victories even when fit, but three consecutive injury seasons mean that his usage has to be managed cautiously moving forward in 2026-27.

Such an approach does not just arise from thin air, and Adams' experience with four teams helps one understand why.

Steven Adams' Long Road Through the NBA

Adams was drafted by the NBA as the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA draft, and the journey he has undertaken since has seen him play for four teams.

The longest period he played for was with the Oklahoma City Thunder team, playing alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, averaging 9.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game from 2013 to 2020.

Following the Oklahoma City Thunder, Adams went to play for the New Orleans Pelicans as a starter from the 2020-21 season, scoring 7.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, while shooting 61.4% of his shots.

His next destination, the Memphis Grizzlies, yielded productivity as well as some adversity. Adams averaged 10.6 rebounds per game during his stint in three years with Memphis, but a significant knee injury ended his entire 2023-24 season, after which Memphis had to trade him out of their organization.

As a member of the Rockets now, Adams has committed to 2027-28 via a three-year contract extension worth $39 million, earning him a $13 million base salary for the upcoming season.

How many games do you think Steven Adams will be healthy this season? Drop your answer in the comment section below.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta