Kiwi basketball star Steven Adams made a visit to his old primary school to surprise the tamariki in Rotorua.
“Pretty special day at Owhata Primary today. Taking the big man back to his old kura. Catching up with old teachers and future legends!” Haututū Creative, who followed Steven throughout his day, wrote on Instagram.
The video captures Steven - using his height to his advantage as usual - got giggles out of all the kids as they lined up to give him high-fives.
“You're a special man, Steven Adams. Kind-hearted, caring, and such an outstanding baller. Thank you for giving to the kids of NZ. 👏👏❤️,” one commenter wrote.
“Lovely to see the children so happy with their idol,” said another.
A third added: “Such a special man to so many kids.”
In a follow-up clip, Haututū shared every important part of the day, including the car ride, pōwhiri, and Steven reminiscing on his childhood days.
“It’s a dope primary school,” he said. “Yeah, lots of memories made here.”
He was impressed to see much of the school still the same as when he attended, including a beautiful carving he used to "stare at" during assemblies.
We even got a glimpse of a young Steven Adams during his time at the school - can you spot him?
The school themselves also shared the moment on Facebook, saying: "It was so heartwarming to see Steven and see what a nice man he is. He met up with past teachers and coaches, renewed contacts with past classmates and made some dreams come true for our tamariki."
Steven ended the day by gifting one of his signed singlets to the kura, saying he wanted to “say thank you for playing a crucial role in [his] upbringing.”
He also had an emotional reunion with some of his old teachers, proving just how important those early years are in shaping who you become.
