Adams' NZ-based fans upset by OKC defeat

(AAP)
(AAP)

Wellington Saints basketball players were among the millions tuning in to watch Kiwi Steven Adams play a leading role in the NBA showdown today.

Adams played for the Saints in 2011 as a teenager -- and today played on the world stage for Oklahoma City Thunder.

From a small bar in Wellington, the Saints watched their old team-mate Steven Adams play the biggest game of his career -- the good parts and the bad.

"It's huge for him and he's been playing so well, playing out of his skin, so it's good to see," Saints player Joe Webb said.

And Adams has made the NBA dream more than just a dream for young players like Jordan Hunt.

"Knowing that he played for the Saints, that he came through where I am going now, it's just very cool to see," he said.

The Saints watched the game together after training today, and head coach Kevin Braswell says it was a big moment for them too.

"It's huge, and you can just see the guys in here. We love watching basketball and when you see someone from New Zealand actually be in this kind of setting, it's just unreal."

But they didn't stick around to see the final whistle -- leaving abruptly when it became obvious Adams wasn't heading to the final.

"Everyone's pretty disappointed, hoping that Steve would make it to the finals and get a ring for New Zealand," player Jordan Mills said.

It was disappointing for Auckland fans too, who took a long lunch break to watch the game -- but Adams' achievements this year still make him a winner.

Newshub.