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Today marks the opening of the playground dedicated to Neemias Queta in Boston! The project began taking shape during last NBA season after an initial idea from Hoopers. It was originally expected to be completed during the most recent playoffs, but the process ultimately extended through the summer. Now, after several months spent securing the necessary permits, integrating sponsors (Delta Cafés and Sumol Compal), receiving support from the city and the Portuguese consulate, and designing and completing the project, the Celtics’ Portuguese center will be the guest of honor this afternoon (9 p.m. in Portugal) at the basketball court at King Open School in Cambridge.
The national team center was taken off the court a minute and a half into the fourth quarter, and the coach explained that there was a risk of aggravating an injury and he didn't want to take any chances. The Celtics are also monitoring the situation in Spain. At the end of the press conference following the match in which Portugal defeated Spain 89-95 in Zaragoza — a match that marked the start of Group I of the second qualifying phase for the Qatar 2027 World Cup, but which will go down in history as the first victory for the Lynx against the Spanish in official matches — Mário Gomes was asked about the extent of Neemias Queta 's injury .
Keith Smith: Neemias Queta helped lead Portugal to a big win over Spain today: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals. Aday Mara was strong for Spain with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Hugo Gonzalez had a rough game with just 3 points on 1-for-4 shooting (all from three).
Santi Aldama will not join the senior national team of Spain for the upcoming FIBA window, according to an announcement by the Spanish Basketball Federation on Wednesday. Spain is scheduled to launch the second and final round of the European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar with fixtures against Portugal in Zaragoza on August 28 and Greece in Athens on August 31.
NBA star Neemias Queta will lead Portugal’s team in the upcoming FIBA WC Qualifiers window. Portugal successfully completed the first part of the qualifiers with a record of 3-3 and is awaiting the start of the second round. In the first window, they will visit Spain on August 28 and host Georgia on August 31.
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This summer, Mazzulla has taken that commitment to another level; it’s mid-July, and he has already spent time with four different players in four different parts of the world: Jordan Walsh in Texas, Baylor Scheierman in Nebraska, Hugo Gonzalez in Spain, and Neemias Queta in Portugal.
The SBC Summit 2026, one of the largest global events dedicated to the sports, betting and entertainment industry, taking place in Lisbon between September 29th and October 1st, promises a strong lineup this year. The highlight of the first day will be the keynote address entitled "Leadership in Sports Business ," in which Michael Jordan will take center stage. The legendary number 23 of the Chicago Bulls will share his perspectives and experiences not only as a sports icon, but also as a successful investor and philanthropist. Jordan will take the main stage alongside two other major figures in the international market: Carsten Koerl, founder and CEO of Sportradar, and Jason Robins, co-founder and CEO of DraftKings. This panel will discuss the transformation and evolution of modern sports, with a special focus on the convergence between technology, data management, and new dynamics of fan engagement.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla credited an offseason FIBA stint for Queta’s native Portugal for helping him turn the corner in his third season with the Celtics. “(When) he was playing in FIBA this summer, I thought he had a different approach to it. And then, just his growth,” Mazzulla said. “I think the evolution of his game, but also the evolution of his mindset, taking on the ownership and responsibility of what it means to be the starting center for the Celtics. He takes a lot of pride in that.” For his part, Queta credits simple repetition for his emergence, especially on defense. “Just being aware overall,” he said. “Just being able to capitalize on every opportunity … go through film, repetition on the court, workouts. We do a pretty good job of emphasizing stuff that we want to (know), and we really just go down that line.”
Neemias Queta: "You know it’s not going to be easy when you go against Germany. They’re the world champions for a reason. Very well-coached. A lot of talent, a lot of length, a lot of size. They play up-tempo. We got to make them play our game. Be physical with them. Don’t let them get easy layups in transition, easy scoring opportunities. Slow the game down and make sure they work for every bucket. We're not intimidated by Germany or anybody here in this tournament. We're just ready to go out there and compete."
Latvia got back on track at EuroBasket 2025 with a much-needed 78-62 win over Portugal, improving to 2-2 in Group B. Kristaps Porzingis was the story of the night: after a frustrating shooting drought, he hit his first three-pointer and never looked back, leading a 27-7 second quarter that decided the game. The Latvian star finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and a block in 26 minutes, while Latvia’s ball movement was superb, with 14 assists on their first 17 field goals and 11-of-21 from deep in the first half. Portugal struggled to keep up, relying mostly on Neemias Queta’s 16 points and 7 boards.
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The Basketball Federation of Serbia confirmed Meridian Sport’s report by announcing that Bogdan Bogdanović will not be able to help the national team in the rest of the championship “due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the game against Portugal in the second round of the group stage.” “Bogdanović has been diagnosed with a hamstring muscle tear that prevents him from continuing in the European Championship. In agreement with his club, the Los Angeles Clippers, the captain will undergo intensive treatment in the United States in the coming period to recover as quickly as possible,” the official KSS website stated.
Led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia eventually found a way to a comfortable 80-69 victory, improving to 2-0 in Group A. The match began dramatically, with Filip Petrusev ejected after just four and a half minutes for punching in the belly. Petrusev, who admitted in the press conference that he did “a hard blockout, but it was a basketball play and I got hit, so it was up to the refs. I wish Petrusev wasn’t thrown out of the game”.
Jokic led the way with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Nikola Jovic with 18 points. Captain Bogdan Bogdanovic suffered an injury in the final minutes of the second quarter and did not return to the court.
Boston Celtics’ Neemias Queta was sensational in his EuroBasket debut for Portugal, scoring 23 points and grabbing 18 rebounds to help his country secure their first EuroBasket win in 18 years. It was a monumental moment for both Queta and Portugal. After the game, when asked what it meant to achieve a win with his national team, Queta emphasized that it felt even bigger than winning in the NBA playoffs. "It's debatable, you know," Queta said. "I feel like over here we haven't really won, like you said, since 2007. I’ve won a bunch of playoff games in the past, so (it feels bigger)."