Kiwi basketballer Steven Adams has been ranked as the 40th best player in the NBA in Sports Illustrated's sixth annual top 100 list.
Compiled by respected journalist Rob Mahoney, the list comes out before the NBA season, rating the best players in the league, with Adams once again featuring on the list.
Two years ago, Adams was ranked 47th, before rising to 38th for last season. The 26-year-old has dropped two spots before the 2020 season.
Despite his slight fall, Mahoney described Adams as one of the strongest players in the NBA.
"To understand what makes Steven Adams a great player, you have to start by looking around him," he wrote. "The scoring he contributes goes beyond his 13.9 PPG, considering that Adams is near the top of the league in screen assists.
"Even though Adams himself has fairly pedestrian rebounding numbers, no player in the league had a more profound impact on his team's defensive rebounding last season. Does Russell Westbrook average a triple-double for three straight seasons without Adams clearing a runway to the glass?
"Professional sports are rife with strongmen who force themselves into the middle of the action. Adams, who might be the strongest player in the NBA, uses his might to work the angles and shut opponents out.
"It can be trickier to recognise, but the denial of space is central to any winning effort. Controlling a game is about walling off the basket, keeping opponents off the glass, and creating space between a ball-handler and the defence. Adams makes a living - and a difference - by drawing those lines."
Adams is the second-best Thunder player on the list, with new teammate Chris Paul ranked 21st, while former teammate Westbrook is 11th.
The top 10 has yet to be revealed, but is expected to include the likes of former OKC forward Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James.
Newshub.
