Boston Celtics two-way center Neemias Queta is the first Portuguese player to appear in an NBA game back in 2021 with the Sacramento Kings. But before accomplishing that, he was playing college basketball at Utah State with Crew Ainge, the son of former Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.

Queta started 84 of 86 games in three years for the Aggies, averaging 13.2 points per game on 59.4 percent shooting from the field. He also logged nine rebounds, two assists, and 2.5 blocks per game.

He’s a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Mountain West Division and made the All-Defensive Team in each of his three seasons at Utah. All of this led to him getting drafted early in the second round in 2021 by the Kings.

While at Utah State, Queta became teammates and friends with Crew Ainge while he was on the team from 2017-19 and they both Queta were starters in the 2018-19 season.

On the latest installment of the View From the Rafters podcast, Queta said that he and Ainge immediately made a connection when they met:

“It’s funny how it comes full circle because we’ve always been connected from the moment I got there. Crew’s always been one of my good guys and always tried to help me with what he knew about this type of world and what was kind of needed from me to get there.”

Lastly, legend has it that Crew told his father that Queta is a first round talent back in 2018.

You can listen to View From the Rafters here.

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