Neemias Queta Earns 88K All-Star Votes

88K All-Star Votes For No. 88

The 2022 NBA All-Star Game is on the horizon, and Kings fans from Portugal want to see Neemias Queta on the big stage.

The Kings bigman received just under 90,000 fan votes, ranking him in the top 25 among frontcourt players for fan voting.

“It just helps me even more knowing that I have so many people supporting me that want me to do good,” Queta said after seeing the fan voting.

“That just gives me a different type of joy, a different type of energy whenever I wake up every day. So, I just try to continue that momentum that they built for me and just try to keep growing.”

Portugal has backed Queta since the moment he was drafted, from buying his jersey and creating endearing memes to staying up late or waking up early to watch him play.

https://twitter.com/Ricardo11709560/status/1426435970828750848?s=20&t=rpqZVs4xt6F_tCGhkJ6N-Q

His popularity has steadily grown as he continues making history during his rookie campaign.

Queta became the first player from Portugal to play in an NBA game during Sacramento’s Dec. 17 game against the Memphis Grizzlies. While he only logged just over seven minutes, he still managed to pull down five boards to go with one block and one assist.

His top performance so far happened on Feb. 10, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 23 minutes of action, Queta recorded 11 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Despite the 109-108 loss to the Cavs, he still broke ground as the first NBA player from Portugal to score an NBA bucket.

https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1480962838931853313

Queta's numbers may not have caught the league's eyes to solidify a spot on the All-Star reserves, but Kings fans at home and abroad have put him on their radar.

Players are selected into the All-Star game with a combination of votes from fans, players and media members. The league has already made announcements on the starters and the reserves on Feb. 3. Leading vote getters LeBron James and Durant will then pick their respective teams, a format the league first instituted in 2018.