Kevin Punter, as a guest on the “Oni vole Srbiju” show, revealed many interesting details from his private life that we hadn’t heard before.
Just a few days ago, he talked about the emotional decision to make Partizan his club for the foreseeable future. Now, we were able to find out when he wanted to quit basketball and whose words served as the biggest motivation during a critical period in his basketball career.
Growing up in the Bronx
“For me, it was actually quite nice. I played basketball outdoors every day, went to school, and lived like any normal kid. That was my routine, nothing spectacular. I just wanted to be outside and play basketball all day. That’s how my childhood looked. A lot of kids in New York do the same thing. You just want to be outside, and I grew up on the basketball court.
I haven’t changed much; I was the same then as I am now—quiet and somewhat in my own world. I tried to adapt to the situation. Everything was pretty peaceful; I loved sports, went to school, and that was essentially it. We weren’t a wealthy family; my parents worked every day and tried to keep me off the streets and provide us with a roof over our heads. In the Bronx, you have to be tough; if you’re not careful, bad things can happen to you. You just have to be aware of the situation, know when it’s time to go home, and make sure you do. It’s easy to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
Beginning and relationship with his younger brother
“I was seven years old when I started playing basketball. At the beginning, it wasn’t that serious, but I wanted to pursue basketball professionally. My father played basketball, and other family members were involved in baseball and American football”.
His younger brother recently signed with Promo from Donji Vakuf, and after college, he will continue his career in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“I’m six years older than him, so I’ve been through a lot more things than he has, both in life and in basketball. I’ve tried to pass on my knowledge and experience to him, to prevent some things from happening or going wrong. We talk every day. When he was in college, I came to Europe. It’s incredible that both of us became professional basketball players. We trained together all summer. I’ve told him multiple times that he can count on me for anything I can help him with”.
The period when he wanted to quit basketball
“I came very close to quitting basketball. I wanted to improve my grades because in America, if you want to play basketball, you need to have good grades. At that time, my grades were not good at all. I took a certain test seven times, and I remember crying and calling my mom. I didn’t want to play anymore.
I asked her to come pick me up, but she told me never to make big decisions when I’m emotional. She told me to calm down and that everything would be okay. She didn’t want my emotions to speak for me. She said I should make decisions when I’m calm. I called her later and told her I wanted to continue. From that moment, a new chapter began in my life” – Kevin Punter shared.
Words he never forgot
While at State Fair College, his coach was Kevin Thomas, and assistant coach Josh Ash uttered some words that served as “fuel” for him in tough moments even many years later.
“He told me I would never make it as a basketball player. Kevin Thomas was my college coach, and his assistant, Josh Ash, said I would never reach a serious level in life. This happened in my first year, and I took it personally. I used it as motivation. I had only his words in my head, and I kept working. Those words hit me hard, but today we have a great relationship. He knows what he said, but honestly, I don’t care about it now. Back then, I was immature, and I interpreted it differently.
When I think back about myself during that period, I didn’t have much quality. I won’t say he lied to me, but I used those words to improve. I kept telling myself that I would work hard. Everyone has their own story. I didn’t have any other options; I had always seen only basketball, and I wanted to play in the NBA. I didn’t know anything about European basketball. I was willing to sacrifice, train a lot, and come home late from the gym. That’s been my mindset since I was a kid” – Kevin Punter shared.
Dragan Sakota as a significant part of his career
“He brought me from Poland, and he was my first Serbian coach. He allowed me to play the way I wanted and asked me to score points. Even though I came off the bench, I had to transfer energy to the rest of the team. I have to mention that the team helped me a lot. That experience was really helpful. They made my life easier at that time. I was first in Lavrio, then in Poland, and then I returned to Greece. The experience I gained playing for AEK was good for me”.
Aleksandar Djordjevic and his time with Virtus
“Being a part of Virtus was great. Some people couldn’t understand why I hadn’t played in the EuroLeague earlier. I had a good season with AEK, and my manager and I decided to go to Virtus. I knew what it looked like, but I didn’t have confirmation that it would happen again. I was happy with Virtus, and once the season started well, you have the wind at your back. I just had ‘work, work, work’ in my head, and I was lucky to win another title, which is tough. When you change teams, it’s like starting over” – explained Kevin Punter.