{"id":490332,"date":"2026-02-25T21:45:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/490332\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T21:45:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:45:23","slug":"neemias-quetas-nba-breakout-big-for-boston-celtics-and-portugal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/490332\/","title":{"rendered":"Neemias Queta’s NBA breakout big for Boston Celtics and Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"

When time permits, Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta<\/a> (nuh-MEE-ush KAY-tah) loves to visit Casa Portugal Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he can enjoy paella and other delicacies native to his home country of Portugal. It is there that the 7-footer can speak Portuguese comfortably and revel in his amazing journey to become the first and only NBA player<\/a> from the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about being able to have resilience being from Portugal,\u201d Queta recently told Andscape. \u201cWe\u2019re not really known for basketball. We are not really getting the exposure. I feel like we\u2019re kind of handicapped. And I feel like we just got to get better every time. So, anything for me is just the resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing to test the waters [for the NBA draft] my freshman year and it not going well. Going back to college, getting hurt, coming back again. Being a two-way player in Sacramento. Didn\u2019t work out. Figure out my way on in Boston. Being from Portugal as well, too. So, all of those things together, it\u2019s not like the best odds were in my favor. But I feel like just by working hard, just having the right mentality, I made the best out of the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

That mentality and work ethic has put Queta in a position where he is the starting center for the Celtics after the departures of veteran big men Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet. Queta entered Wednesday averaging career highs of 9.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. After nearly doubling his average in each of the aforementioned categories, he could make a dark horse case for the 2026 NBA Most Improved Player award. <\/p>\n

Tonight, Queta and the Celtics visit the Denver Nuggets (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m amazed more by his maturity,\u201d Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told Andscape. \u201cHe cares about people. He has it together. He knows what is important to him. He knows who he is as a person and a player. He cares about winning and doing it with his teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Porzingis, now with the Golden State Warriors, said: \u201cNeemi has been good and getting more opportunity. He deserves it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NeemiasThe Boston Celtics signed Neemias Queta to a three-year, $7.18 million deal in July, 2024. <\/p>\n

David Dow\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Queta\u2019s unique NBA journey actually has African roots. His parents, Mica and Djaneuba Queta, moved to Portugal after their native Guinea-Bissau in West Africa succumbed to a civil war taking place from June 1998 to May 1999. This conflict stemmed from a power struggle between President Jo\u00e3o Bernardo Vieira and Brigadier General Ansumane Man\u00e9. It resulted in the destruction of infrastructure, hundreds of deaths and the displacement of roughly 300,000 people.<\/p>\n

Mica and Djaneuba initially moved to Cape Verde before going to Portugal, a safe haven for many displaced from Guinea-Bissau, in the late 1990s. Neemias Queta was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 13, 1999. He has never been to Guinea-Bissau and his parents haven\u2019t been back since they left. He hopes to go with his mother \u201cin the next couple of years\u201d in what would also be his first trip to Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were in kind of like a refugee type of situation. It was more trying to get to that safe place and Port Portugal welcomed them,\u201d Queta said.<\/p>\n

Queta grew up in a two-bedroom apartment in Vale da Amoreira, a town in the municipality of Moita. They lived about a 20-mile drive across the Tagus River from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. He was primarily raised by his mother, who was a chef while his businessman father traveled Europe regularly for work. Queta said his work ethic and drive comes from his mother, whom he saw wake up at 4 a.m. to go to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe still figured out a way to have a life with her kids in Europe. That\u2019s all the motivation for me,\u201d Queta said.<\/p>\n

For Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, it goes back to love \u2013 AndscapeRead now<\/a><\/p>\n

The population of Portugal is over 90% Portuguese descent. Moita, however, has a significant amount of immigrants from Cape Verde, Angola, and Guinea-Bissau. Quita felt very comfortable in Moita, but his African ties and dark skin did bring him challenges in Portugal at-large.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing the son of immigrants in a new country, a predominantly white country, is different,\u201d Queta said. \u201cBut at the same time, I was just trying to be the best version of myself I could be. I got these stigmas, these stereotypes. But that ain\u2019t up to me to figure those out. I just got to be the best me I can be. From that point on I was just playing basketball, playing soccer with the lessons I learned from my family. They always instilled in me to just be kind and make a way to make a better life for yourself. \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing in Portugal as a Black person from African origin, you\u2019re not really viewed the best over time all the time. The stereotypes are going to be [said], but I just tried to enjoy the good. At the same time, Portugal was really welcoming for us. It\u2019s always nice to be there. Our neighborhood was a bunch of multiculturalism. You had Asians, you had South Americans, you\u2019d have Africans, you had European people. It was more about being able to interact with each other and just making the best out of the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NeemiasNeemias Queta on the Boston Celtics\u2019 culture: \u201cBoston is known for making players better. Winning culture. Great coaching staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glenn James\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Queta was introduced to basketball shortly after his sister was. An elementary school teacher invited her to try out for the school\u2019s basketball team, and a curious 10-year-old Neemias eventually started going to her practices.<\/p>\n

Barreirense, a men\u2019s professional basketball team, just happened have a youth team training in the same gym. They noticed how unusually tall Neemias was for his age and convinced him to join their workouts.<\/p>\n

It was then that Portugal\u2019s first basketball star was born.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a teacher that worked out in one of those local [basketball] clubs,\u201d Queta said. \u201cShe invited her [his sister] because she was so much taller than everybody else. And one of those days I went with her just to see and they just had a club team working out over there. I ended up getting invited to work out with them. They were probably two, three years older than me, but I was already taller than all of them. It was a seamless transition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like most boys from Portugal, Queta was initially in love with soccer and its Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal did have a pro basketball league, Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol, but Queta said the country\u2019s best basketball players typically left to play in other European countries. By the time Queta was 17, he had grown to 7-foot. He was in love with basketball and sought an opportunity outside of Portugal.<\/p>\n

Queta played club basketball with Benfica SL B in Portugal during the 2017-18 season. His big break came playing on Portugal\u2019s U-18 and U-20 national teams. Utah State watched Queta play in the 2018 U-20 European Championships. The only full basketball scholarship offer he had in the United States was in 2018 at Utah State, where he could play with Portuguese guard Diogo Brito. While there was also an opportunity to play in Spain for Valencia, Queta ultimately chose to come to the much colder and landlocked Logan, Utah.<\/p>\n

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\u201cUtah State came in pretty clutch because I was pretty close to not coming to college,\u201d Queta said. \u201cI had to take an exam to graduate from school and didn\u2019t finish until late August because I was playing for the [U-20] national team. I was supposed to finish the exams in June, but you\u2019re in camp so you can\u2019t do those. But when I passed it, [Utah State] was the only [American] offer I had at the moment. \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have a big coat to start with when I got to Utah. I was going to class at 7:30 in the morning in the middle of the canyon. It was just a jacket. I missed those days. It was so much simpler back then, but I\u2019m just glad everything worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after arriving to Utah, Queta said he first gained belief that he could play in the NBA after playing \u201cpretty well\u201d in pickup games against then-Utah Jazz players Donovan Mitchell, Royce O\u2019Neale and Georges Niang before his freshman season. Queta was named the Mountain West Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year during the 2018-19 season after shattering the school\u2019s single-season blocks record with 84. The Aggies also made the NCAA tournament in 2019 for the first time since 2011.<\/p>\n

Queta put his name into the NBA draft after his freshman and sophomore seasons, but he took his name out both times. The 2021 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year put his name into the NBA draft for good in 2021 after averaging 14.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 2 assists per game in his junior season while shooting 56% from the field. NBA scouts were intrigued by his height, 7-4 wingspan and 9-3 standing reach. Still viewed as a project, the Sacramento Kings selected Queta with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft.<\/p>\n

Queta spent most of his first two professional seasons playing for the G League Stockton Kings. The 2023 All-NBA G-League first team and All-Defensive Team honoree averaged 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.9 blocks during the 2022-23 season with Stockton. He also played sparingly in 20 games for the Sacramento Kings from 2021-23.<\/p>\n

The Kings, however, cut Queta before the start of training camp in 2023 to make room for veteran center JaVale McGee. While it would have been easy for Queta to sign with a team in Europe, he was determined to make it in the NBA.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was more about figuring out what was coming up after,\u201d Queta said. \u201cYou enjoy your years over there. It was good years there. Built great relationships. But at the end of the day, it\u2019s a business. They make decisions you can\u2019t control. After that, it was just shifting the focus into figuring out what my next steps are going to be. And just taking the lessons that I learned over there into the next spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to make a better version of myself and just trying to make those losses into lessons. So, I\u2019ve just been trying to get better from that point on. And it\u2019s been working out pretty well for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JoeBoston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla (left) said he\u2019s impressed by Neemias Queta\u2019s maturity.<\/p>\n

Chris Marion\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Just days later, the Celtics signed Queta to a two-way contract. He appeared in 28 games for the Celtics during the 2023-24 season, averaging career highs of 5.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game while shooting 64.4% from the field. He also played in 11 regular-season games and five playoff games for the G League Maine Celtics.<\/p>\n

Queta played in three playoff games for the 2024 NBA champion Celtics, including becoming the first player from Portugal to play in the NBA Finals when he logged minutes in Game 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoston is known for making players better,\u201d Queta said. \u201cWinning culture. Great coaching staff. At the end of the day, I felt like I could impact the rotation. Being able to play with JT [Jayson Tatum] and JB [Jaylen Brown], they are such good superstars that make everybody better around them. So, I felt like it was a big no-brainer for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mazzulla said Queta met all his initial expectations because of his professionalism and effort. Mazzulla added that he first gained true faith in Queta when he had 10 points and seven rebounds in the first start of his NBA career for Boston against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 4, 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe expectations were for him to be doing what he is doing for us now,\u201d Mazzulla said. \u201cOne of the gifts that we have is our ability to see these guys all the time. People on the outside see a game. To me, it\u2019s about the way you work out, the way you practice, the way you watch film, the way you walkthrough [at shootaround], the way you handle the last five minutes of a game if it\u2019s a 20-point game, the way you handle it if you get to start once or twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Queta finally found stability in the NBA when the Celtics signed him to a three-year, $7.18 million deal in July of 2024. While that contract already appears to be a bargain, Queta is appreciative.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe contract, that\u2019s all I wanted from the moment I got to the league on a two-way \u2014 slowly building, getting better, just trying to get in this league,\u201d Queta said.<\/p>\n

Queta averaged 5.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in a career-high 62 games for Boston during the 2024-25 season while learning from Horford, Porzingis and Kornet. With Horford and Kornet leaving via free agency and Porzingis traded to the Atlanta Hawks last offseason, Queta became the starting center for the Celtics.<\/p>\n

While limited offensively, Queta has not disappointed in his new role, starting in 53 of 57 contests for Boston. The Celtics have championship dreams with MVP candidate Brown leading the way, the addition of veteran center Nikola Vucevic, and the potential return of Tatum from an Achilles injury.<\/p>\n

Queta believes today\u2019s Celtics have the team to win a record 19th NBA championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made a couple changes,\u201d Queta said. \u201cWe lost a couple of key pieces, but I feel like we integrated the new guys pretty well and they\u2019re huge for our culture. They\u2019ve got something to prove, too. I feel like we all got something. We changed the team and all these guys started counting us out. We just want to go out there and just prove everybody wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Portugal is known for being an international soccer power, but through basketball, Queta is bringing his home country a different global spotlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of love. Being the face of the NBA for Portugal is pretty good for me,\u201d Queta said. \u201cIt\u2019s a blessing that I don\u2019t take lightly. I just want to be out here and just do the best I can so I can put the best version of our culture on the map.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasn\u2019t been able to in years and his knees still hurt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When time permits, Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (nuh-MEE-ush KAY-tah) loves to visit Casa Portugal Restaurant in Cambridge,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":490333,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":["post-490332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/490332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=490332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/490332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/490333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=490332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=490332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=490332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}