Steven Adams

11 seasons in the NBA, and an already-crystallized reputation as one of the Association’s “tough guys” would’ve left Steven Adams completely understood, if he decided to forgo diving on the floor during an early-March regular-season game. Instead, the 265-pound enforcer used it as just another opportunity to showcase the 2024-25 Houston Rockets’ hard-nosed, postseason-ready style. Personifying the “Aquaman” nickname to a tee, Adams tips a loose basketball ahead of Jake LaVaria’s reach — in the first quarter, no less — before working a volleyball-like dive-and-tip at once to spring a teammate’s fastbreak free. Admiring his hard work from a “floor seat” of sorts, Adams collects a highlight assist, trimming the Sacramento Kings’ lead in the process. The Kings would ultimately take control, using a late-game run to secure a third-straight win; Adams, though, made good on his seven-minute appearance, logging two points, two rebounds, and one assist on March 1, 2025.