Last year it was the moustache; this time round the unruly flowing locks had tongues wagging in Oklahoma as New Zealand's Steven Adams made his appearance on media day.

As NBA teams undertook their traditional pre-training camp media obligation, Adams presented his usual laid-back approach ahead of his third season in the league with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 2.13m New Zealander rolled in with somewhat of an unkempt look, the hair long and the face unshaven, and told reporters in Oklahoma it was there for the long haul. He also obliged with a few scary looks at the photo shoot.

"I'm keeping everything. I'm just letting myself go. Sorry," Adams said of his hirsute look.

But the 22-year-old Kiwi, expected to start at centre for the Thunder in 2015-16, did not have the mullet that he had hinted previously he might bring for the new season.

"That would have looked gross," he dead-panned to the assembled media, preserving his status as one of the more entertaining of the Thunder players when it comes to answering questions.

Adams also revealed he would have to rely on the infamous top-knot in games because, well, nature hadn't blessed him kindly when it came to headbands.

" My head is weirdly shaped so I can't wear a headband," he said.

In a chat with the Thunder's broadcasters, Adams said he had enjoyed his off-season, and in particular the chance to get back to New Zealand and give something back to the community with his twin training camps in Mount Maunganui and Nelson.

" We did two cities, and about 750 kids, and it was just a whole bunch of fun," Adams said of his Kiwi camps where he was accompanied by Thunder GM Sam Presti and assistant coach Mark Bryant. "The kids learnt a lot and everyone had a great time."

Asked about the importance of giving back to the community, Adams said: "It is [important], especially in New Zealand. It's quite far from America and I feel like they get overlooked, so I'm trying to put them on the map."

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He also spent a couple of enjoyable weeks having "bro time" in Seattle working out with team-mate Nick Collison, and said his fellow Thunder big man had promised to reciprocate the visit and head down under.

"He's coming down to New Zealand at some point – that's what he said anyway. They always say it but then they flake ... it's so annoying."

On more serious basketball issues, Adams told the assembled media he'd worked hard on one specific part of his game, among others.

"Free-throws, a lot of free-throws," he said. "We've seen some progress. [I've worked on] pretty much all areas of the game, picking up fundamentals and trying to become a full player, understanding we have a new coach and I have to be ready for whatever role he wants me to play."

He added: "My main focus [at training camp] is to understand the system as fast as possible, because we've got new coaches, and try to make sure everyone is on the same page. There are going to be some bumpy rides and we want to make sure that period is minimised."

It's an important campaign for the Thunder as they look to bounce back from last season's injury-plagued playoff miss and return to championship contention in the loaded West. It is also superstar Kevin Durant's last year before free-agency, and the franchise will be doing everything in its power to keep him in Oklahoma.

The big Kiwi felt last year's adversity only made them stronger for this campaign. "The resilience and perseverance we showed was something I was proud to be part of. We had a really bumpy ride last year, but everyone kept to the same goal and tried to reach it."

Adams faces a battle for the starting centre spot with re-signed Turkish big man Enes Kanter, with pundits predicting the Kiwi will hold him off because of his vastly better defensive qualities.

"I think we complement each other. We have the same mindsets really ... he's definitely a skilled big, a good dude."

One other thing Adams did admit before he headed off to fulfil his other obligations: he actually eats more in the off-season than he does during it – a fact that flabbergasted the Thunder broadcasters who have seen the Kiwi's legendary appetite first-hand.

" I actually eat more," declared the giant Kiwi. "New Zealand has better food – sorry America."