15 years before Steven Adams was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, a tall, skinny kid from the North Shore of Auckland paved that path.
Sean Marks was the 44th pick of the 1998 NBA Draft - the first New Zealander drafted by an NBA franchise.
Marks played 13 years in the league for several clubs, winning a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005.
These days the Kiwi is making waves as an executive with the Brooklyn Nets, wheeling and dealing behind the scenes to turn that franchise around.
Speaking to Newshub's Grant Chapman, Marks gives us a peek into how he made it to the NBA, why basketball was for him and how his career on the court, moulded his life off the court.
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