If you put your heart, body and soul into your passion and work hard to accomplish your goals – anything and everything is achievable.

This is Kiwi NBA star Steve Adams message to young basketball players who are taking part in a New Zealand Basketball Academy camp being held at ASB Areana in Mount Maunganui today.

Kiwi NBA star Steve Adams is passing on his skills and knowledge to aspiring Bay of Plenty basketballers during a New Zealand Basketball Academy camp at ASB Arena in Mount Maunganui today. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

Today's camp is one of three Steve is taking part in to help young basketballers and children looking for an introduction to the sport to develop their basic fundamentals under the tutelage of experienced Kiwi and American coaches.

About 360 young players, aged 7 to 17, signed up for the camp and will be soaking up all the knowledge, tricks and tips that they can from the 22-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder centre.

'It's about building a fun environment,” explains Steve, 'and showing them what putting their mind to basketball and working really hard can give you. It's just about having fun and teaching the kids stuff.”

For his trip home Steve has been accompanied by his mentor Kenny McFadden, OKC general manager Sam Presti and assistant coach Mark Bryant.

His footsteps are also being shadowed by a documentary crew and when asked how he's found having cameras recording his every move he deadpans: 'annoying”.

'They've been getting good footage of New Zealand to take back and show America, it's been quite nice.”

As you can imagine, when you're 2.13m tall it's not easy to blend into a crowd, and it's made even more complicated when you're the only Kiwi currently playing in the NBA.

Each trip home interest surrounding him grows more and more, but Steve brushes it off and says it just comes with the territory.

While at home, there's are a few things Steve wants to do, but at the top of that list is getting himself a good ol' Kiwi pie.

'That's what I miss, meat pie, that's what I miss aye,” he says. 'I haven't had one but will get one today.

'I used to go Big Ben, they used to do a pie and drink for $2, but inflation – not a chance. I usually like a Maketu Pie.”

Tomorrow, Steve flies down to Wellington for the second camp, and then it's off to Nelson for the third and final camp next weekend.