Steven Adams Loves Getting "Thunder Fit" With Kids

A recent Thunder Fit Clinic at Oklahoma City's Taft Middle School. Photo By Randy Renner/InsideThunder.com

By Randy Renner, Senior Writer

Thunder center Steven Adams may be in a new tax bracket but he assures he's the same fun-loving (but also very serious) guy he's always been.

He returned to Oklahoma City last week from a summer full of fun and work and got right back into doing both at a Thunder Fit clinic at OKC's Taft Middle School.

Over the summer he hosted several of his own basketball camps back home in New Zealand, they were attended by more youngsters than ever before.

Thursday's clinic was pretty mild compared to that but it gave Adams a chance to connect with the kids and gave them a chance to see an NBA player up close.

Steven Adams chats with students during a Thunder Fit Clinic at Taft Middle School. Photo By Randy Renner/InsideThunder.com

Thunder training camp begins next week, but Adams and many of his OKC teammates have already had several informal workouts.

Adams says its especially important to begin building chemistry early with new players Paul George, Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton.

As far as what George being on the team could do for Adams, the big Kiwi said he's thinking more about what he can do for the team.

The most obvious improvement will likely come in floor spacing. with a sharpshooter out on the wing opponents won't be able to pack the paint like they did at times last season.

Now back to that new contract.

Adams agreed to it early last season, a 4-year, $100 million deal. His salary zooms from about $3.1 million in the third year of his rookie scale contract to $22.4 million this season. The raise means the Thunder will be paying Adams more than George or anyone else on the Thunder roster except for Mr. Triple Double. Russell Westbrook is set to earn $28.5 million.

Steven Adams working with Taft Middle School Students during last week's Thunder Fit Clinic. Photo By Randy Renner/InsideThunder.com

Does that mean he's putting more pressure on himself to have a great season?

Well not really, the way Adams looks at it the goals are all team oriented.

Everyone has the same goal..the big goal...the ultimate goal...winning the NBA Championship.

And Adams admits this season's version of Thunder basketball should be a good one, a really good one.

We should begin to see some of the evidence of that once camp gets going on the 26th.