New Zealand Nba Players You Need to Know About

Here are three New Zealand NBA players that you need to know about.

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Steven Adams

Steven Adams is a New Zealand professional basketball player who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born on 20 July 1993, in Rotorua, New Zealand, and grew up in Wellington. He is 2.13m tall and weighs 120kg.

Adams played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, he was drafted by the Thunder with the 12th overall pick in the NBA draft He has since gone on to play for the Thunder, including their run to the NBA Finals in 2012 and their Western Conference Championship victory in 2016.

Adams is one of only two New Zealand-born players in the NBA, along with Dallas Mavericks player Dylan Ennis.

Enes Kanter

Enes Kanter is a New Zealand-born professional basketball player who last played for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft He also holds Turkish citizenship.

Kanter played three seasons of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before declaring for the NBA Draft in 2011. As a freshman, he was named SEC sixth man of the Year. He went on to earn first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors as a sophomore. After his second season, he decided to forgo his final two years of collegiate eligibility and enter the NBA draft

In his seven seasons in the NBA, Kanter has played for four teams: the Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder New York Knicks and Trail Blazers He has been an NBA All-Star and won an Olympic silver medal as a member of Turkey’s national team

RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett, the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft was born in Toronto, Canada to a father who played Professional Basketball in New Zealand. Barrett grew up playing both sports and developed into a consensus five-star recruit while attending Montverde Academy in Florida. He played one season of College Basketball at Duke University before declaring for the NBA Draft

Barrett is a 6’7” shooting guard/small forward who can score from anywhere on the court. He’s an excellent shooter with a quick release, and he has the strength to finish at the rim through contact. Barrett is also a gifted playmaker, averaging nearly five assists per game at Duke. He has the potential to be a star in the NBA, and he’s already drawn comparisons to All-Star guard Jimmy Butler

The New York Knicks selected Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and he will have the opportunity to play alongside fellow young stars Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Knox. Barrett will look to make an immediate impact on a Knicks team that finished last season with the Worst Record in the NBA.

Mitchell Robinson

Mitch Robinson is a young player who has already shown a lot of potential and is one of the best up-and-coming players in the NBA. He was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and has quickly become a fan favorite.

Robinson stands at 7’0” tall and is an exceptional shot blocker. He averaged 2.4 blocks per game in his rookie season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He also averaged 7.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game

Robinson has already shown that he has the potential to be a very good player in the league and is someone to keep an eye on in the future.

Kevin Knox

Kevin Knox is a New Zealand-born professional basketball player who plays for the New York Knicks in the NBA. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand and moved to the United States when he was 14 years old. He played College Basketball for the University of Kentucky before being drafted by the Knicks in 2018. Knox is a versatile player who can play both small forward and Power Forward He is known for his shooting ability and has been praised for his potential as a future All-Star.

Frank Ntilikina

Frank Ntilikina is currently in his second season playing for the New York Knicks The 20-year-old from Belgium was drafted 8th overall in the 2017 NBA draft He is 6’5″ and plays point guard So far in his young career, he has shown great potential as a Defensive Player

Dennis Smith Jr.

Dennis Smith Jr. is a professional basketball player from New Zealand who plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted ninth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Mavericks. Smith is known for his high-flying athleticism and has often been compared to fellow Kiwi and Dallas Mavericks teammate, Steve Nash

Ignas Brazdeikis

Ignas Brazdeikis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania and is currently a small forward for the New York Knicks of the NBA. He played college basketball for the University of Michigan before declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft where he was selected in the second round by the Sacramento Kings Brazdeikis was traded to the Knicks on draft night and made his debut for the team in October 2019.

Brazdeikis is known for his strong perimeter shooting and his ability to score off the dribble. He is also a good rebounder and defender for his position. Brazdeikis has been compared to fellow Lithuanian player Darius Songaila and has been praised for his skillset and potential by some NBA scouts

Reggie Bullock

Reggie Bullock is a shooting guard for the New York Knicks and he hails from Thornhill, Ontario in Canada. He was drafted 25th overall in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Wayne Ellington

Wayne Ellington is a New Zealand professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected 27th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets He also represents New Zealand in international competitions.