If basketball never panned out for Celtics center Neemias Queta, a career on the pitch might have worked. “Soccer was my first love,” says the 7-foot Portugal native with the wingspan of a pterodactyl. “I used to play growing up. Every now and then I still play, mostly as a goalie to try and avoid injuries. I think it’s good for reflexes, being able to catch passes on the fly.”

We’ll never know what Queta would have looked like in his home country’s soccer kit because he’s faring so well in an NBA jersey. After signing with Sacramento in 2021 and becoming the first NBA player ever from Portugal, Queta joined the Celtics ahead of their title-winning season in ’23-24. Muscling his way into the rotation, “Neem the Dream” had a breakout ’25-26, averaging 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, and finishing fourth in Most Improved Player voting. 

“We started off the season pretty rough at 0-3,” remembers Queta. “And as we figured it out, we found a way to get more consistent with our process. It was a season full of growth. I think the main thing I can take away from it is that the future is great.”

Now that he’s found his place in the League, Queta is using his influence to inspire the next generation of Portuguese hoopers who might be torn between two loves. “Soccer is definitely the main sport over there,” says Queta, who started hooping around 10. “But I feel like [basketball has] been growing lately. It’s growing in terms of people actually playing in clubs. It’s just been a great shift in my opinion.”

One of Queta’s teammates on the Portugal national squad was Pedro Costa. Pedro’s brother André is a basketball fan who created Hoopers, a virtual space where b-ball lovers could connect that has evolved with real-world court renovations and the Hoopers League Pro-Am circuit. André and Neemy made natural partners.

“[Queta] was able to join the biggest stage, which was something very inspirational,” says André, who’s also behind Felton, an audience intelligence platform that some NBA teams and SLAM are using to get a better understanding of the people they’re serving. “In terms of values, hard work and perseverance, I think he exhibits everything that we believe in as a company.”

Powered by Hoopers and Felton, the Boston big also hosts the Neemias Queta Training Camp every offseason. The camp incorporates drills, mentoring sessions and scrimmages. But with this being a World Cup summer, naturally, organizers will work some soccer-watching into the schedule, too.

Photos via Getty Images.