Entering the season as Barcelona’s new captain, Kevin Punter reflected on the differences between leading in Belgrade and Spain. The American guard brushed off offseason transfer speculation and stressed his commitment to guiding the team toward title contention.
Kevin Punter prepares for the upcoming season with Barcelona in a new role.
Position
SG
Age
33
Height
190 cm
Weight
86 kg
Birth place
New York, United States of America
Former captain of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade will be the captain of the Spanish powerhouse under new coach Aleksandar Sekulic.
In an exclusive interview with Sport, Punter compared the task of being the captain in Belgrade and occupying the same role in Barcelona.
Leadership and Summer Rumors
“It is an honor for me and I will carry this role well. I have always respected the captain’s role very much and I understand what it means. Being the captain of Partizan was crazy, and here in Barcelona people are a bit different, the culture is different,” Punter started.
“I don’t want to overthink it or try to do something extra, because that is simply not my personality. I will just continue to be who I am and lead the team. I still have to show the new guys that I need to be a leader, whether physically, verbally, or in any other way. Next to me I have Joel (Parra), Dario (Brizuela), and Juan (Nunez). That is the entire team’s job, without a doubt.”
“Absolutely nothing happened. I simply saw that people were talking too much and I tried to stay away from the internet throughout the entire summer. I don’t know who those people are. People were constantly talking and it was all crazy.”
“People make things up and assume that I’m leaving. I don’t even pay much attention to such things. There was nothing indicating that I might leave.”
Ambitions for the Season and Fighting for Trophies
Punter’s goals for next season are clear, fighting for trophies and having a successful season.
“A successful season? One hundred percent! Fighting for trophies? Of course! You need a plan to achieve such things, and I think we have it. If the team wants to be successful, the right mentality and always keeping that hunger for success are key.”
“Words cannot describe how much it means to me that I am still here and how much I want to win trophies with Barcelona. All I want is to step onto the court, try to give my best, and do the best I can to make it happen. I don’t even like talking too much about it. We know what we need to do and that’s all.”
“Even though I knew that many players’ contracts were expiring, I didn’t pay too much attention to it because I simply didn’t know what was going to happen. I don’t invest that much energy into things I cannot control and know nothing about. So we will see what happens,” Punter concluded.
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