Steven Adams’ is “unlikely” to represent the Tall Blacks team at this year’s FIBA World Cup due to his knee injury, according to Basketball New Zealand boss Dillon Boucher.
Adams, 29, injured his knee while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies in January, an issue that ruled him out of the team’s recent NBA playoffs series against the LA Lakers (the Grizzlies were beaten 4-2).
“Looking at the diagnosis and from what’s come out from his team, it’s probably looking unlikely that he’s going to be pulling on the black singlet,” Boucher told 1News this morning.
Adams, now a 10-year veteran of the NBA, has never represented New Zealand at senior level but was understood to have been in contact with Tall Blacks coach Pero Cameron about playing in the World Cup in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia in August and September only for his injury to thwart his plans.
Speaking to 1News at a media opportunity at Auckland’s Sky Tower with the World Cup trophy, Boucher said his knowledge of Adams’ injury was limited but believed he had suffered a “tear”.
“I know he’s had some sort of surgery but looking at the reports from the NBA team it sounds like he’s looking at the American summer to rehab that knee.
“He’s definitely on the radar to be touching base to see how his rehab is going.”
Adams, a 2.11m (6 foot 11 inches) centre, would have given the Tall Blacks a huge physical and star power boost at the World Cup where the nation has been included in a group with the USA, Greece and Jordan.
The 7.5kg gold-plated World Cup trophy is visiting the 32 countries and regions involved in the World Cup and Boucher braved the rain, wind and height to parade it around the Sky Walk (it was strapped to him).
“I’ll tell you what, it was pretty scary out there on top of the Sky Tower.
“It’s pretty special for New Zealand to be part of the 32 countries that it’s visiting. I’ve played in a couple of World Cups and been an assistant coach in one and never had my hands on it so it’s special to hold that trophy."
Asked about the excitement levels of those in the frame to make the squad, he said: “It’s all business now – yes it’s exciting to be playing the best players in the world but you get that in World Cups. Now it’s business and working on strategies to be able to beat those teams.
“Pero has an unbelievably tough job to select the 12 that will be going,” he said. “There are going to be some really good players that miss out.”
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