New Zealand Basketball Chief Executive Dillon Boucher is hopeful that Kiwi NBA star Steven Adams will suit up for the Tall Blacks “when the time is right”.
The Memphis Grizzlies centre is yet to play for his country, but Boucher believes that Adams “would love to play for the Tall Blacks”, while also shining light on the gruelling nature of the NBA.
“I’ve got a great relationship with Steven (Adams) and I think when the time is right, we’ll definitely be sitting down and having a chat about when the timing's right for him to be able to pull on the black jersey for us,” Boucher told SENZ’s Mornings with Ian Smith.
“Everyone in New Zealand would love to see it and I’m sure Steven would love to play for the Tall Blacks as well, so it’s just a case of timing with his NBA season.
“I think what a lot of people don’t understand is how gruelling an NBA season is. 82 regular season games and how beat up your body gets in those (games).
"And being a big man, it’s even more so.
“Not making excuses for him but it is a lot to take in and he obviously needs to make sure he takes care of his body, which is number one, to be able to make sure he can keep performing to the best of his ability.”
When the time’s right, the former Tall Black intends to sit down with Adams to discuss future possibilities.
“When the time’s right … we’ll be sitting down with Steven and having a chat, and just seeing what’s possible,” Boucher continued.
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