After eight seasons in the world's premier basketball league, Kiwi NBA star Steven Adams has moved on from his ubiquitous No.12 jersey - but not by choice.
During the offseason, Adams was traded by New Orleans Pelicans to Memphis Grizzlies, as part of a package for Lithuanian centre Jonas Valanciunas.
But Adams has arrived to find his new team's best player - star point guard Ja Morant - also wears No.12, forcing him to adopt a new number for his tenure at Memphis.
He'll now revert to No.4 with the Grizzlies, as a tribute to former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Nick Collison - the first time since being drafted 12th by OKC in 2013 that he'll sport a number other than 12.
His first choice may have been to revert to the No.13 he wore during his brief stint with the NZ NBL with Wellington Saints and his US college year with University of Pittsburgh, but that path has also been blocked by another of the Grizzlies rising talents, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Adams believes his hard-nosed approach to the game will be an ideal fit with the Grizzlies and their longtime mantra of 'grit and grind' basketball.
"It's why I've enjoyed coming to Memphis [in the past], because it's very much like a grindhouse, hard-working, gritty type of basketball," Adams says.
"That's why I was quite excited to come here… they love that kind of play and it's a part of the DNA of Memphis."
Meanwhile, Adams can be added to the rapidly growing list of Kiwi athletes affected by the Government's managed isolation protocols.
The Rotorua native chose not to make his customary offseason return to New Zealand because of MIQ limitations.
"There's a two-week quarantine at a hotel, so logistically, it didn’t make sense, because I still needed to work out and (I) can’t be locked up that long," Adams reveals.
Adams also confirms he's part of the 90 percent of NBA players who have received their COVID-19 vaccination. The league has set his sights on a 100 percent rate by the time the new season tips off on October 20.
While the league is yet to make vaccination mandatory, it has confirmed that players must adhere to regional restrictions.
New York and San Francisco - where Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors are based - will only allow those who have received at least one dose of a vaccine to enter its home arenas.
Last week, Kiwi Nets general manager Sean Marks revealed some of his players were ineligible to practice, because they didn't meet New York City's vaccine mandate.
All-Star Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has refused to disclose his vaccination status, while several other marquee players - including Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal and Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr - openly admit they won't receive a jab.
Adams will make his first appearance with the Grizzlies in their pre-season opener against defending champions Milwaukee Bucks on October 6 (NZ time), while the regular season will begin against Cleveland Cavaliers on October 21.
