A Kiwi NBA Star’s Priceless Response Upon Hearing an Aussie Accent: ‘He’s Aussie, I Had to!’

A light-hearted moment sparked by a voice from the audience was all it took for Kiwi NBA sensation Steven Adams to momentarily forget he was on the mic, resulting in a funny exchange during the press conference.

Adams delivered his finest scoring display of the season, propelling the Houston Rockets to an upset victory by eight points over the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs.

This triumph positions the Rockets in the hunt to join the ranks of 14 teams that have managed to rebound from a 3-1 playoff deficit to clinch a seven-game series.

With a stat line featuring 17 points, five rebounds, three blocks, and a steal, Adams demonstrated why he deserves more gameplay time with the Rockets.

Nonetheless, his impressive performance on the court couldn’t prevent him from playfully teasing an Australian journalist in the media room.

The 31-year-old received abundant commendations from reporters regarding his defensive contributions when he was questioned about the source of his “aggressive” energy.

“Cheers, mate,” he responded in relation to his defensive prowess.

“I merely follow the game plan and the defensive strategy, reading and communicating,” Adams explained. “It boils down to the defensive setup. It’s not as if I’m doing it every time.” He continued, “The lads on the ball were doing an excellent job of forcing their opponents into off-balance shots, which are the opportunities that you can capitalise on.”

At that moment, Adams caught a hint of an Australian accent as a journalist entered the press room, prompting him to pause mid-sentence and chuckle, “Oh, for goodness’ sake.” He then quickly covered his mouth as he realised he was still on the microphone.

“He’s Australian, I had to,” he remarked to the room before reverting back to discussing his team’s defensive achievements.

While Adams remained modest regarding his personal achievements, both his coach Ime Udoka and Warriors coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the significant contributions of the Kiwi player.

“Adams was brilliant tonight,” Kerr remarked. “He really controlled the game while he played.”

Udoka also commented in his media briefing: “Some players had off nights, but others stepped up. Steven was particularly crucial when (Alperen Sengun) got into foul trouble, making those free throws and excelling defensively … Every bit helps.”