Neemias Queta: Making history for Portugal, playing with Danny Ainge’s son

Neemias Queta: Making history for Portugal, playing with Danny Ainge’s son

What’s up everyone this is Mark Deo I just want to say thank you for giving us a listen or a watch and please do not forget to rate subscribe or review us we appreciate you giving us a listen and here’s the next episode of view from the Rapters behind the scenes with the

Boston Celtics presented by Flexar all right there are not many people in the world who get the opportunity to say that they were the first to do something ever and this guy right here de kada is able to do that he’s the first Portuguese player ever drafted in the

NBA he’s the first Portuguese player to ever play in the NBA man first and foro first and foremost what does that mean to you to be able to be the the first from your home country to be playing in this league um thanks for having me

First um but it means a lot to me just because of the responsibility he comes with um I’m representing a lot of people back home and a lot of friends family whatever it may be people that look up to basketball so um it’s pretty it’s pretty

Good to me that I can be pretty I can be the one that rep represents them and I feel like I’m I’m just trying to I’m just trying to do my best so I can make them proud you know so how did it start like obviously you’re coming from a

Country that clearly doesn’t have a huge history of basketball so like where did this start for you of wanting to play this game and learning that you could use what what you were blessed with in terms of being 7t tall uh to be able to get here eventually yeah it started when

When I was around 10 uh my older sister got got pretty much uh sent to play basketball by one of the teachers in in the school and one day I just went with her and there was a boys team next to them and ever since then uh they wanted

Me to get in there and just mix you know so ever since then I was pretty tall too so it may it may it helped us how tall were you then at 10 probably just a a palm higher than everybody else already you feel me

So I could I could I could stand up out a little bit cuz of that but I felt like it was uh ever since then it’s been a like a bug inside of me and I just it just been growing how much peer pressure was there to play soccer footb I don’t

Want to offend anybody around the world by by picking whichever name you want to call how much peer pressure was there growing up there that hey this is what you play this is what everybody played no man I definitely played a lot way before way before basketball was even on

The picture I played soccer football whatever you want to call it a lot um it’s just it’s just natural in in back home we play we play in school in the school recess two backpacks in the floor and just play like that you know like every five minutes 10 minutes so it’s

Just it’s just one of those things that ingrained in us you know for people don’t understand the geography this is what I’m dying to know because as Mark pointed out you are the first you were the first to ever ask a question on the show that’s what I do some some people

Get to be the first that’s the biggest can make that’s something that next door is Spain which has produced a multitude of NBA players Hall of Fame NBA players what is the difference culturally in the two countries where basketball isn’t the same as it is in Spain um I honestly

Think is a cultural thing um I feel like Portugal is really really soccer B soccer minded in in general but I also feel like Spain is way more way more Diversified in terms of sports you see them winning in basketball You’ seen them winning in soccer you’ve seen them

Winning in tennis You’ seen them winning in plenty of other sports so I feel like it’s just a cultural team and at the same time I feel like they invested in basketball way earlier than we did um I feel like basketball has only started to become popular in the last probably 20

Years maybe um but maybe but still like they they still had a had start on us so I feel like it’s we’re we’re training our own way and I don’t want to make a comparison with with countries and all that but like we’re just trying to R run

Our own race you know there are kids watching you right now I mean social media goes crazy in Portugal when you play and that to me being first is important but the idea that there are more you there are more 10-year-old kids maybe following their sister to practice

Who all of a sudden now have somebody to look at and say I can do that that’s pretty cool no definitely I that’s why I try I tried to keep keep on getting better and just want to make make them proud and like like I said it’s not it’s

Not a lot of a lot of people that got this type of uncomon story so I just want to make make everybody believe in themselves and just want to help them achieve their goals with whatever they can if they can take inspiration in my story then I’m glad so born in Lisbon

Right correct so I I I have been blessed to have been able to go over to Portugal for a vacation at one time and I feel like it’s this unfound gem like not enough people over here know about what it’s like over there how beautiful it is

The coastline is incredible what was it like living there and growing up there and what can you tell people that they might not know about Portugal and why they should maybe go check it out uh yeah I feel like Portugal is one of those countries that you don’t talk

About much um uh I really don’t know why it’s got great food great weather um great views like historically too it’s got really great art monuments all of that but I feel like it’s just it’s just such a nice country that I want to go

There all the time I whenever I got time I want to always be there see my family friends and I feel like Portugal is just such a country that you can always get a good time in a vacation you know so you got losos losos is a little bit north

Right and then you got the noos Lisbon is North losos is a little bit South how different are those two areas of the country and how have you gone I assume you’ve gone down to losos and had some uh no I haven’t gone to losos but I know

That area down south like algar um that whole area is really touristic um it’s usually where everybody goes th go in the summer it’s really got great food like it’s really it’s really nice in the the summer for real and then Lisbon is always going to be nice during the

During the year round pretty much big city Vibes in lbon yeah no I I love my time over there I love the food I love just being able to see like you’re saying The Monuments and everything like there is a lot of history over there and

I don’t know why it’s kind of this Undiscovered Country that not enough people I think it’s cuz you got to walk a lot in Lisbon just cuz of the hills that is also true yes I got my workouts you’re you’re in there for for a good

Time you got to explore get out and just do it you know well that then to me begs the biggest question I have which is you grow up watching Euro league largely right you you’re on that track so not only do you choose to go to

College you go to college in Utah which to me after growing up where we just discussed you grew up that’s like going to Mars to do something I’m I’m going to play instead of being going pro in that natural wave with with Spain there in the Euro league you’re going to play

College basketball in the US in Utah it’s almost like you say let me have the exact opposite experience I could possibly have uh no not really it’s if you think about it it makes sense what you’re saying but also like I got to put you in perspective you know like back in

The day like uh uh I I could have gone pro and played in Europe but at the same time I felt like it was was a harder harder way to get to to the NBA and I felt like it wasn’t really going to benefit me as much you know like I felt

Like I didn’t have as much exposure over there um I felt like the college route would be way better for me in terms of exposure for NBA team so I just I just felt like it was it was if I had a right situation to go in college where I could

Play minutes and um get get a good be in a good team you know I feel like I could have I would be way way way way better position to to come to the NBA so I felt like it was that and at the same time the staff at Utah State really really

Invested me recruited went and went and checked out my family back in Portugal and also I had a one one one guy that went to school with my older sister playing on the team at Utah State too so so I literally had everything to go everything everything was going right

The right way to go to Utah State and it ended out working out great so here I am so I’m joking about the beaches but traveling Halfway Around the World leave your family at that age that had to be daunting were they behind you were they supportive of this idea where did you

Ever go back and forth or were you’re like you know what this is definitely me this is me no obviously my family wanted me to stay closer than them um but they they kind of understood that uh there was a there was a good plan in mind like

We had a good structure good good a good chemistry do going going to do that so I felt like there was is always on my side um it was hard and tough cuz I wasn’t able to go go home on big holidays or only one time a year you know but it is

What it is and I feel like it sometimes you got to make sacrifices for what you want you know and news flash it worked right here you are here you are a few years later um but one thing that most people are not going to know is that

This is kind of Full Circle for you right you’re here with the Celtics but when you arrived at Utah State there was another tide of the Celtics that was there on the team with you right crew a Danny A’s son playing for the team what was that like to randomly kind of

Interact with him and we know crew he’s been around here for years uh but just being able to meet him and kind of have that connection to the Celtics from the second you got to Utah State yeah um it’s it’s funny it come how it comes out

First full circle cuz uh we we’ve always been we’ve always been connected from the moment I got there um crew’s always been one of my good guys and he always tried to help me try to help me with what he knew about this this type of

World what was kind of needed for me to get there you know so it felt it felt like it was a really good situation for me and look at us now I’m pretty sure he put in word you know yeah and listen I I heard from someone in the Grapevine here

In this building that when you got there crew sent a text message and said hey a first round pick just arrived like this guy is an NBA player and this was like right when you walked on to campus how do you think you made that impression

That long ago when I mean you weren’t that long into playing basketball right probably like seven8 years at that point yeah I feel like it was just uh maybe I think it was the way the way I came in at practice or blocking shots through

The wall I felt like uh not a lot of people knew out of me I I didn’t I wasn’t like a five-star recruit three star recruit whatever it was like I came from overseas like out of nowhere nobody really was expecting much out of me and

All of a sudden I’m I’m out there like as a freshman and really playing really really solid minutes on a team that’s playing really nicely so I felt like that all of that helped did you ever see Danny at the games ever talk to him no no no I I I’ve

Never seen him out there but I kind I met him already all right yeah if you know Danny he saw you I guarantee you that I’m pretty sure young players don’t shot blockers they say are born not made did you feel instinctively you had enough of a feel

For the game that you were going to be a shot blocker right away or was that something in college once you got there all right I’m starting to see how the game is played I’m starting to feel that I can become a shot block um I wouldn’t

Say I really was a shot blocker from an early age I felt like I picked it up as I as I as I got Mor with me high- wise and I had to be versatile defensively and a little bit offensively so I feel like those are

Things I’m I’m really good at but the shot blocking it came it came with time and like getting reps um I feel like once I got to college um the positioning like the film The study the way room all of that helped me just to get get a lot

Better at it and I feel like it it’s been with me ever since I got to college with that what was the college life like for you it’s we’re at a fascinating time in the league where a lot of guys are choosing other ways to get to the league

And here as this is what I was getting at earlier you had almost a natural path to not choose it and yet I think there’s an experience there it’s not just having practice and having reps but a college life that I think is important for a

Young man to have yeah um there’s a lot of aspects I feel like are important like uh from college that I took um for example like the discipline of having to do uh school work that makes you be more responsible with stuff off the court as

Well work for you by the way I don’t even know how I’m here right now yeah responsible now no but I feel like that that definitely helped me um the discipline of uh 6 a.m. workouts in college stuff like that really helps you cuz it

Carries over to this day you know so I’m really I’m really thankful I chose that route and it kind of helped me see a different side of things for for life and basketball too Nei you said that you started blocking shots when you got bigger when did that happen like

When did the the big girl spurt happen when you were like all right like I’m different than these other guys so uh I was about 16 uh I had a I had a family and friends I went there for 2 months came back like 3 in taller in like 2 months what yeah

Did your legs hurt uh I really didn’t think I got that until I got like who is this guy yeah all my friends was like yo this is not the same person you know so how tall were you after that spur uh probably 1967 okay what’s that 202 meters I don’t

Know two I was about like 190 I can’t do we just talked about my school I can’t do those calculator he could do yeah exactly 67 you you eventually get to 7 foot obviously no I I I I grew into 6 67 68 I was like 6’5 okay and but then

Eventually you get to where you are now did that continue to happen while saw State uh probably another an inch uhhuh and then as during that process you’re learning the defense you’re studying the film and all that stuff you wind up going on to win Defensive Player of the

Year in the conference multiple times you almost came out to go into the draft U and and stay in the draft after your freshman year so talk to me about that process of learning the game learning where you stand thinking about coming out potentially after your freshman year

And then deciding to go back and really continue to hone in on on like what you needed to do to get to where you are now yeah obviously I felt like uh the way the first year just went um uh Everything went perfect individually as a team too so I just

Felt like uh might not try and see see how how I stand out um go through the combine get a couple workouts in um see what the feedback might be um from the teams and I tried my tried tried get in there um it didn’t go as

Well as I thought it was going to be but at the same time I got the experience I got the the feedback and I learn I I learned that uh what they were trying to get out of me and I felt like it was a good a good uh learn learning experience

For my future just because of the because of the because of the feedback I was going to get as well what was that feedback getting people can’t take that I always was honest with myself like I feel like I was easy to learn with easy for me to

Learn um I listen you know so they told me that I needed to get stronger um get it move better laterally and I feel like that was some of the things I really improved on going to college um the next two years I got way better in

Defensively I was able to switch into the perimeter move better laterally um get stronger I put up a couple pounds too ever since then so ever that’s that’s one of the reasons why I was able to thrive in the last few years in college and get get get drafted that’s

Great because I mean as I was just getting to there like not only not basketball players but just people in the world some people cannot accept the the criticism of where they need to improve right and you were able to listen accept it and then turn it into

Motivation to get you to where you are today so kudos to you to being able to do that cuz not a PE not a a lot of people can do that there’s people in the in the NBA who got into the NBA purely off of their ability that are no longer

In the NBA because they weren’t able to do that after they got here yeah so that’s pretty cool no I feel like it’s understanding of of most of the times it’s not even personal they’re just trying to help you get better so you just got to listen to what it is and

Decide what you want to do with it you know Mark you know what I thought when I found out Flex car was going to be our new sponsor no what’ you think I don’t know I don’t know what I thought neither did I but then I went and checked it

And and it’s basically a car subscription and you choose the mileage package that fits you best and that’s it okay it’s it’s honestly pretty cool and it includes roadside assistance 24/7 car insurance and maintenance it’s all included in one bill all in one bill the only thing that is not included is the

Gas you put in the tank and on top of that it’s cheaper it’s like 10 to 20% cheaper than buying or leasing a car and what are you doing right now I’m finding my next car all right well if you’re doing that make sure you use the code

Rafters you’ll get 100 free Miles when you sign up millions of kids have this dream to be sitting where you’re sitting right now with us with us here that’s what I meant I didn’t mean playing in the NBA I meant sitting here with us having this conversation and then there

Is a moment for the very select few when it becomes real like this could this could really happen I really could be there was there a moment for you as before college going Halfway Around the World to play in college where you realized this isn’t a crazy childhood

Pipe dream anymore this might really happen for me yeah um uh what the year before before College I had a conversation with one of my coaches um he just he just pretty much told me sat sat down with me and just told me about the potential like

Just about the amount of work I was putting in and ever since then uh I just felt like uh I was really it kind of like open opened my mind the way you put put into perspective effective um the development of players like yanis like skinny players that wasn’t coordinated

And like in 3 four years just they just become so so so different with the amount of work they put in you know so I felt like that was one of the things that really really flipped the script for me and ever since then I just became

A different player the with the amount of uh hours I was putting in the amount of work I was putting in and the difference difference and the importance of everything that comes in between the game so shout out to coach Bruno how long when did he start coaching you

Uh 16 to 18 and he just saw it in you uh yeah yeah pretty much yeah that’s great no I mean if if anyone shout out to him like you just said but being able to sit you down and get you to be in that

Mindset for the rest of your life to be able to work to get to where you are today that’s pretty cool too um so you come out of the draft after 3 years or you come out of college after 3 years going into the draft selected in the

Second round by the the Kings and you’re there for a couple years what was the experience out there in playing in the G league and going back and forth between Sacramento and Stockton I feel like it was a valuable experience um being able to get introduced to the NBA World um

See see a little bit of what it is how it takes uh what it takes to be the big successful um cuz I I was there when when the Kings was pretty bad the last few when the last year and then we became pretty good so I kind of

Understand both sides of the spectum with that uh how to be a good team and how to be in a bad team so I feel like it was really valuable for me and at the same time the g-league Run was really good for me CU I was able to play more

Get get consistent minutes and play well yeah yeah which is even more important definitely also I feel like I did it I learned a lot from my mistakes just getting the continuity and the the the leeway to understand with that I feel like it was really beneficial for the

Development of what I got today and I feel like I I develop a lot in terms of free throw percentage just in there do you see in the G League the desire in some guys we just talked about your desire to work and to get better from

When you were young to being in college G leag can sort of be a continuation of that that I think some guys take full advantage of and some guys don’t it could be a separator facts no I like the backup it is true no but you could see right it’s like there

Are guys that take advantage of and there are guys that say I’m in the G League I should be in the NBA whatever and it is just another I guess the string I’m trying to draw through this whole thing is you’ve taken advantage of all these opportunities that have been

Given to you and the g- league was a perfect one no yeah I feel like the G league is you can make you can make the g- league your best or worst enemy that’s it’s up to your mentality and how how you how you take it um I feel like a

Lot of guys know that are they’ll be in the G league but at the same time they expect to get in there like get 30 points and just get out quick um most of the times it’s not going to be like that you got to you got to grind through it

Um you don’t know how long you’re going to be there you just got to go with the same mindset that you would be going with if as if you were up top you know like you get in there I know it’s tougher different but at the same time

You just got to be able to put it as it is what it is you always got to get better on your own and just um be a professional cuz you never know when the when the when you get may may may get called up there’s another couple guys in

This locker room who went through the exact same process and now they’re full-time players on this team Sam Hower you know top eight rotational player on this team right now he started in the G league as a two-way player you got Luke cornette who is now a full-time player

With the Celtics so have you had any conversations with them about what the experience was and how that they kind of parlayed that into being on a full contract in the NBA yeah yeah we talked about it um these guys have been been

Put a in work for so such a long time um to get to where they are nowadays is amazing um I’m really happy for them but and also it’s just you know how how the G Le gets uh it’s hard for you to get down there and obviously kudos to them

CU they obviously got put in the work to get to where they are right now um so I’m really I’m really I’m really happy for them see there are not only coaches who to help you there are players that you can look at to study and say man I I

Want to be that kind of player you did a podcast about a year and a half ago I was listening to the other day and you’re with Sacramento and they asked you about different guys that you look at I thought it was pretty ironic because the first name you said was Al

Horford and herec getting to see him every day as a player you looked at from afar as saying I want to be able to do what he does and be that kind of versatile player yeah man like Al is such a versatile player with the amount of things that he can do

On the court um and off the court too like leading leading the team in the locker room too um I feel like he’s he’s one of those players that you it’s so hard to keep off the court just cuz off of his energy like the winning plays he makes um the

Communication um not to mention the switching one through five making shots like rebounding like making the right play most of the times I said pretty much a lot of things that he can do right you know so it’s really it’s really helpful to have a guy like that and he’s

A veteran at the same time that has been through it and it can pretty much guide me through what he’s been through you get to see him work and now you get to see in three dimensions the work that resulted in all that that’s pretty cool

Yeah yeah I need to translate a little bit of it you are right like let’s let’s not beat around the bush here right like the Celtics scooped you up right after you got waved by the Kings and you come here on a two-way contract but it’s kind of not been like you’re on

A two-way for the last couple months right like the team goes out west and you’re the man putting up two double doubles in three games out on that West Coast trip helping the Celtics to a three three in one trip so like it is paying off and you are turning it into

Something and there’s a lot of people out there talking about why is this why is he still on a two-way like he he should be up on the team fulltime right now what’s this process been like for you the the first few months and playing the most in the NBA that you’ve ever

Played at this point yeah I feel like it’s it’s just coming along naturally I feel like I’ve been putting in the work for such a long time that um with the consistency I’ve been getting on the court with minutes and all that I feel like I just I’m just starting to produce

Now um but at the same time it’s all about helping the team win um I’m not really thinking about putting up numbers like you said or just anything like that it’s just I’m getting in there helping the team find playing my role getting making tough guy plays going for

Rebounds stuff like that you know what conversations have you had with Joe about that role and with Brad about that role and what you can bring to this team for the final x amount that we’ve got got left another 50 games or so yeah like like they said you never really

Know when when it’s your opportunity to go go get some minutes um they just want me to stay ready um cuz there’s not a lot of minutes up for grabs with all these guys that are really good but at the same time I’m really I’m really

Fighting for them at the same time I’m really getting ready every day I’m really trying to trying to help my trying to help myself be be be productive on the court with the amount of work I’m putting in so whenever they call my call upon my name I can help the team

Contribute you said your first year in Sacramento the kings are still making that transition still sort of rising had the really good year last year and that’s it’s a that’s a great place to play the fans are are special it was a special year last year with the

Kings Chris toport think has been the league a long time and I haven’t seen that dude not smile from the second he got here it’s just constant and even he is overwhelmed by the experience of playing in Boston with this crowd which is insane you are from a part of the world

That’s Sports crazy and you appreciate being at TD Garden with the fans as insane as they are right now for this team in this moment no the fans are lovely over here um I’m really I’m really happy that I’m a part of such a uh appreciative fan base um everywhere

Everywhere I go I feel like I’m I’m getting recognized a lot you know like people show me so much love so I’m really happy that I’m I’m playing for the Celtics right now with these type of fans and he’s ready for the winter cuz he was in Utah for yeah there you go

You’re already used to right hey before we let you go I got to ask you this have you paid attention or have you heard about Jo D cracking jokes about your goal tending to the media that that tells me yes you have seen what was your reaction

When you saw him cracking those jokes hey man it is what it is Jo Joe is like that he also there’s some seriousness into it you know but at the same time means it half joking for people for people who don’t know is there’s the old saying like you like the go tending

Because it sends a message to the other team Joe’s like no it gives two points to the other team I don’t need that I don’t need that message been on me on that so I need a b better all right so then last one on that how how do you

Develop in that in that sense of like knowing when to go for and when or not obviously I feel like uh as a shot blocker I’m trying to go for all of them you know like that’s my job that’s where I feel like I’m really good at so I’m my

Confidence is always trying to go get get get shots BL shots but there’s always a fine term I just need to I just need to figure out a lot of a lot of them is like half a second or or less you know they’re right there but

It is what it is I I’m I’m just learning I’m trying to figure out the game and once it slows down for me I feel like I’ll I’ll block more than what I’m doing you know no more go tens I’ll I’ll get a few still you know every shot blocker it

Is what it is I feel like I’ll get more yeah that’s how you honed your shop blocking skills is it true you honed your skills learning English watching Prison Break fo that’s a that’s a fact that’s a fact because kids so there you go kids tell your parents I can look at

What I can do by watching TV do is watch TV figure it all you can’t hey parents the bad thing you do is putting your kids on time m not watching TV that’s the thing you doing great show yeah if there’s nothing else you take away from

This parents let the kids watch TV exactly no but this has been awesome it’s great getting to know you a little bit more in your story I know the fans are going to love it and congrats man like it it to Sean’s Point like you’ve just embraced every moment and every opportunity

And you’ve turned it into what it is right now and what it is right now is you’re playing the most you ever have in your NBA career you’re contributing to a title Contender and that’s pretty freaking cool to see that come from where you were in Portugal coming from a

Country that didn’t have an NBA player before you so congrats on that man well definitely thank you guys I appreciate It

Neemias Queta joins Marc and Sean this week to talk about his path to the NBA and the Celtics – which is incredibly unconventional.

Queta became the first Portuguese player to ever be drafted into the NBA and to ever play in an NBA game, after moving from Lisbon to Utah to play three years for Utah State. At Utah State, Queta ironically played with Danny Ainge’s son, Crew, and quickly became one of the top shot blockers in the nation.

Now, after two years of development in the Kings organization and being the runner up for G League MVP, Queta is playing more minutes for the Celtics than he ever has before in the NBA, all while showing his true promise as a big man – and especially as a shot-blocker.

0:30 – Becoming the first Portuguese player in the NBA
3:00 – Cultural differences between Portugal and Spain
6:50 – Why Queta chose to attend Utah State instead of going pro in Europe
11:40 – Becoming an elite shot blocker
20:00 – Being drafted by the Kings and developing in the G League
23:20 – Looking up to Al Horford and contributing to the Celtics this season
27:55 – Joe Mazzulla joking to the media about Queta’s goaltending tendencies

View From The Rafters is presented by Flexcar.
_______

Subscribe Here ☘️ https://www.youtube.com/celtics

_______

Keep up with the C’s
Twitter ☘️ https://twitter.com/celtics
Instagram ☘️ https://www.instagram.com/celtics/
Facebook ☘️ https://www.facebook.com/bostonceltics
TikTok ☘️ https://www.tiktok.com/@celtics
Snapchat ☘️ https://www.snapchat.com/add/celtics
LinkedIn ☘️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bostonceltics/

_______