This time tomorrow, 19-year-old Steven Adams could be the first New Zealander to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft.
He would instantly become one of our highest-paid athletes.
The Rotorua native is in New York for the lucrative NBA draft, but despite the hype Adams is keeping it real.
While the American basketball media try to decipher where the top rookies will go, Adams is happy to sit back and enjoy the ride.
"I'm not too worried to be honest with you, I'm just enjoying right now, man," he said.
Adams has spent the last month working out with a number of teams, impressing them enough to receive an invitation to tomorrow's draft that all but guarantees selection.
Selection equals big money. A place in the first round means a salary of more than $1,000,000. But if he goes as high as some have predicted, Adams could be in line for well in excess of $2,000,000. He'd also become the first Kiwi to be picked up in the first round.
"[I'm] pretty honoured that people view me in that way, because back in New Zealand people view me like 'eww, who's this guy, gross' but it's all good now," he said.
And it won't just be the family watching tomorrow; around 3 million viewers in the United States alone will tune in to see just where Adams' NBA career begins.
3 News
source: newshub archive
