First Portuguese NBA draft pick Neemias Queta will ‘represent Portugal the best way I can’
Kings rookie Neemias Queta made history in his homeland when he was selected with the 39th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, becoming the first Portuguese player ever drafted by an NBA team.
Queta, a 7-foot center out of Utah State, talked about representing his country and inspiring young Portuguese players during his introductory news conference Saturday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
“I believe it’s something that I try to carry on me, like a chip on my shoulder,” Queta said. “It’s something that I want to be able to help kids and represent Portugal the best way I can, and with that comes a great responsibility, so I’m excited to be the one that broke through that curse and I’m excited to get going. I just want to keep working.”
Queta, 22, was born half a world away in Barreiro, Portugal. He played professionally for SL Benfica in the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetbol and helped the Portuguese U-20 national team win a gold medal at the FIBA U-20 European Championship B.
Utah State was one of the few schools that recruited Queta. Coaches went to visit him in Portugal. The fact that they already had Diogo Brito, another player from Portugal, was a strong selling point.
Queta, a 7-foot-0 ½, 248-pound center with a 7-4 wingspan, quickly established himself as a dominant force in the Mountain West Conference. He was a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year at Utah State, where he averaged 14.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 2.7 assists in 30 minutes per game last season.
Queta blocked 97 shots in 29 games, averaging 6.4 blocks per 100 possessions. He had nine blocks against Colorado State in a Mountain West Conference Tournament game and seven against Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament.
Kings general manager Monte McNair said he’s glad Queta landed in Logan, Utah.
“I’m happy he was playing at Utah State because maybe he stayed under the radar for us,” McNair said. “I don’t understand how a 7-footer who blocks 100 shots stays under the radar.”
Queta is a strong rebounder with impressive passing skills for a big man, but his shot-blocking ability could make him an elite rim protector.
“I think that’s the thing I know how to do best, so it’s something that I’ve just got to translate to the NBA and get accustomed to the next level,” Queta said.
McNair said the Kings identified Queta as a potential target early in their pre-draft process. Queta was one of more than 80 players who came to Sacramento to workout with the Kings. McNair and his staff were thrilled that he was still on the board when it was time for them to make their selection in the second round.
“Nemie is someone we’ve been looking at for a while,” McNair said. “… We were really excited when he was there at 39 and we were ready to call it in.”
This story was originally published August 1, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
