Neemias Queta

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Barbosa and the second or paternal family name is Queta.

Neemias Queta
No. 88 – Boston Celtics
PositionCenter
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1999-07-13) 13 July 1999 (age 25)
Lisbon, Portugal
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
CollegeUtah State (2018–2021)
NBA draft2021: 2nd round, 39th overall pick
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Playing career2017–2018; 2021–present
Career history
2009–2017Barreirense
2017–2018Benfica
2021–2023Sacramento Kings
2021–2023→Stockton Kings
2023–presentBoston Celtics
2023–2024→Maine Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Portugal
FIBA U-20 European Championship Division B
Gold medal – first place 2019 Portugal Team

Neemias Esdras Barbosa Queta (born 13 July 1999) is a Portuguese professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He started playing basketball in 2009 for Barreirense and later played college basketball for the Utah State Aggies. A 7-foot-tall (2.1 m), 250-pound (110 kg) center, he was selected with the 39th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, being the first Portuguese player ever drafted. He became the first Portuguese player ever to play in the NBA on 17 December 2021. As a reserve with the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, Queta won an NBA championship.

Early life and career

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Queta was born in Lisbon, Portugal to Bissau-Guinean parents Mica and Djaneuba Queta.[1][2] He was raised in Vale da Amoreira, in the municipality of Moita. He began playing youth basketball at age 10 with Barreirense after following his older sister to a tryout.[2][3]

On 29 August 2018, Queta signed to play college basketball for the Utah State Aggies in the United States, as he had no other collegiate offers.[4][5]

College career

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On 19 November 2018, Queta recorded a freshman season-high 24 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in an 80–63 win over Saint Mary's.[6] As a freshman, he averaged 11.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, earning Second-team All-Mountain West, Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.[7] He set the program single-season record with 84 blocks. He declared for the 2019 NBA draft before withdrawing and returning to college.[8] Queta missed the first nine games of his sophomore season with a knee injury.[9] As a sophomore, he averaged 13 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, repeating on the Second-team All-Mountain West and All-Defensive Team.[10]

On 17 February 2021, Queta posted a career-high 32 points and 10 rebounds in a 79–70 loss to Boise State.[11] On 12 March, he tallied 18 points, 14 rebounds and a school-record nine blocks in a 62–50 win against Colorado State at the Mountain West tournament semifinals.[12] In his junior season, Queta averaged 14.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 2.7 assists per game. He was named to the First-team All-Mountain West and Defensive Player of the Year.[13] Queta was one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.[12] He broke his own program blocks record, ranked third nationally in blocks per game, and left as Utah State's all-time leader in blocks.[1] On 29 March, Queta declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[14]

Professional career

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Benfica (2017–2018)

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In the 2017–18 season, Queta played two professional games for Benfica in the Portuguese Basketball League.[15] On 31 August 2018, he parted ways with Benfica.[16]

Sacramento Kings (2021–2023)

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Queta was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft with the 39th pick by the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first Portuguese player to be drafted in the NBA.[17] On 8 August 2021, he signed a two-way contract with Sacramento, splitting time with their NBA G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.[18] On 17 August 2021, the Sacramento Kings win the NBA Summer League, beating the Boston Celtics, 100–67. Queta was a regular presence in all the games of the Californian team, which had not won the Las Vegas tournament since 2014, the year in which they defeated the Houston Rockets. On 17 December 2021, Queta made his NBA debut against the Memphis Grizzlies, grabbing five rebounds and adding an assist and a block.[19] He entered COVID-19 protocols on 21 December, but was cleared to return to the Kings on 30 December.

Queta made his return to the G League on 5 January 2022, recording 21 points and 12 rebounds for Stockton in a 103–80 win over the Birmingham Squadron.[20] On 11 January 2022, Queta became the first Portuguese player to score points in the NBA, recording 11 points and 5 rebounds in a 109–108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[21]

Queta was named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season.[22]

Even though he was not a regular option for the Sacramento Kings, Neemias Queta was the Californian team's most voted player for the 2022 NBA All Star Game. The Portuguese post received 88,534 votes from the public and also had one vote from an NBA player.

On 8 August 2023, Queta signed a standard contract with Sacramento,[23] but was waived on 12 September.[24]

Boston Celtics (2023–present)

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On 19 September 2023, Queta signed a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics.[25]

On 26 November 2023, Queta contributed with seven points and a personal record of 10 rebounds in the NBA to the Boston Celtics' home victory over the Atlanta Hawks (113–103). In the end, he was awarded a Tommy Award, an award that recognizes players who excel in their team's defense and who have an impact that cannot be translated into statistical data.[26] On 19 December, in the Boston Celtics' 132–126 loss to the Golden State Warriors, Queta recorded his first double-double by notching 10 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes on the floor. He repeated the feat four days later against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 14 points with 10 rebounds.

With a positive highlight this season in the colors of the Celtics, Queta came in 49th place in the Eastern vote for power forwards and centers for the 2024 All–Star game, having collected 15,967 votes from fans, two from NBA players and none from journalists. On 8 April 2024, Queta signed a standard contract with the Boston Celtics. The commitment came after the positive performances of the Portuguese center in the campaign of the Maine Celtics, in the G League, during the playoffs, which culminated in a performance of 16 points and 19 rebounds in the triumph against the Long Island Nets in the final of the Eastern conference of that league and consequent qualification of the team for the final.[27]

In the last game of the regular season on 14 April 2024, a 132–122 victory over the Washington Wizards, Queta scored 19 points and tallied nine rebounds, six blocks and one assist in just 19 minutes of playing time.[28] On 7 May, Queta made his debut in the NBA playoffs with 2 points and 2 rebounds in just under 3 minutes of play, in the victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers (120–95). On 14 June, in his first NBA Finals game, he ended with 2 points and 1 block in almost 5 minutes of play during a loss against the Dallas Mavericks (84–122). Queta became an NBA champion on 17 June, after the Celtics defeated the Mavericks in 5 games.

On 6 July 2024, Queta signed a long-term contract with the Celtics.[29][30] On 4 November, Queta made his first career start, tallying 10 points and 7 rebounds in a 123–93 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. He also became the first Portuguese player to start an NBA game.[31]

National team career

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Queta represented Portugal at the 2017 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B in Estonia, where he averaged 10.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.[15] He competed at the 2018 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B in Bulgaria, averaging 14.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.[5] At the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B in Portugal, Queta led the host nation to a gold medal. He averaged 14.3 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game, earning all-tournament team honors. In the semifinals, he suffered a left knee injury that sidelined him from the final.[32]

Neemias Queta was chosen as the 2022 Personality of the Year for the Portuguese Basketball Federation, and for this reason his name was nominated by the FPB for the 26th Sports Gala, of the Portuguese Sports Confederation.[33]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Sacramento 15 0 8.0 .447 — .647 2.1 .4 .1 .5 3.0
2022–23 Sacramento 5 0 5.7 .667 — .000 2.2 .2 .0 .4 2.4
2023–24† Boston 28 0 11.9 .644 — .714 4.4 .7 .5 .8 5.5
Career 48 0 10.0 .596 — .660 1.9 .6 .3 .6 4.4

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2024† Boston 3 0 4.5 .667 — — 1.0 .0 .0 .3 1.3
Career 3 0 4.5 .667 — — 1.0 .0 .0 .3 1.3

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Utah State 35 35 27.1 .614 .400 .565 8.9 1.6 .7 2.4 11.8
2019–20 Utah State 22 20 26.7 .624 1.000 .670 7.8 1.9 .4 1.7 13.0
2020–21 Utah State 29 29 30.0 .559 .000 .707 10.1 2.7 1.1 3.3 14.9
Career 86 84 28.0 .594 .375 .646 9.0 2.0 .7 2.5 13.2

References

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  1. ^ a b "Neemias Queta". Utah State University Athletics. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Neemias Queta, o português que pode fazer história nos Estados Unidos". Record (in Portuguese). 1 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. ^ Kamrani, Christopher (27 December 2018). "Utah State went all the way to Portugal to find center Neemias Queta. He was worth the trip". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Utah State Basketball Signs Neemias Queta for 2018-19 Season". Utah State University Athletics. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  5. ^ a b Woo, Jeremy (10 January 2019). "Five Mid-Major NBA Draft Prospects to Watch". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  6. ^ Denniston, Wade (19 November 2018). "Utah State Cruises Into MGM Main Event Championship Game With 80-63 Victory Over Saint Mary's". Utah State University Athletics. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Three Aggies take home four MWC awards". usustatesman.com. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  8. ^ Harrison, Shawn (28 May 2019). "USU's Queta declares 'I'm back'". The Herald Journal. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  9. ^ Edmonds, Jake (19 January 2020). "USU's Queta slowly returning to pre-injury production". KUTV. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  10. ^ Wood, Trent (26 April 2020). "'Together, we can climb to the top of the Mountain West once again': Utah State center Neemias Queta to return for junior season". Deseret News. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  11. ^ Greene, Dana (17 February 2021). "Neemias Queta scores 32, but Utah State loses to Boise State, 79-70". KTVX. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Neemias Queta Named a Finalists for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year". Mountain West Conference. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  13. ^ Judd, Brandon (9 March 2021). "Utah State's Neemias Queta earns 2nd MWC Defensive Player of Year honor of his career". Deseret News. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  14. ^ Givony, Jonathan (28 March 2021). "Utah State center Neemias Queta entering NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Neemias Queta Game Logs". RealGM. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Neemias Queta Ruma Aos Estados Unidos". SLBenfica.pt (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  17. ^ Anderson, Jason (1 August 2021). "First Portuguese NBA draft pick Neemias Queta will 'represent Portugal the best way I can'". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  18. ^ Nicholson, Nikki (8 August 2021). "Kings Sign Neemias Queta to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Memphis Grizzlies at Sacramento Kings Box Score". Basketball-Reference.com. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Kings' Neemias Queta: Plays first game since Dec. 2". CBS Sports. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  21. ^ Wirth, Taylor (11 January 2022). "Neemias Queta's sacrifices pay off in historic Kings performance". NBC Sports. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Wolves' Garza And Ignite's Henderson Named Captains For NBA G League Next Up Game". NBA.com. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Sacramento Kings Sign Neemias Queta". NBA.com. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  24. ^ "Sacramento Kings Announce Roster Moves". NBA.com. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  25. ^ "Boston Celtics Sign Queta". NBA.com. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  26. ^ ""Hoje foi grande": Neemias brilha com sete pontos e dez ressaltos em 15 minutos e recebe elogios dos Celtics". Observador.pt. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Celtics Sign Neemias Queta". NBA.com. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  28. ^ "From Honoring A Legend To Kicking Ass On The Court, The Celtics Wrapped Up Their Historic Regular Season In Spectacular Fashion". barstoolsports.com. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Boston Celtics Re-Sign Queta". NBA.com. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  30. ^ "Report: C's re-sign Neemias Queta to multi-year contract". NBCSportsBoston.com. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Celtics' Neemias Queta becomes first Portuguese player to start an NBA game". boston.com. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  32. ^ Harrison, Shawn (24 July 2019). "Utah State's Neemias Queta injures knee at FIBA U20 tournament". Idaho State Journal. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  33. ^ "Neemias Queta é a personalidade de 2022 para a FPB". FPB. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
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