Kevin Punter: 'I wanted to be part of this team'

Kevin Punter was the first new basketball signing of the summer, and the arrival of the Serbian passport holder from the United States has raised much excitement among supporters. After his first few weeks, he has clearly settled into life at his new club and is thoroughly enjoying the chance to compete for places with the likes of Satoransky, Laprovittola, Abrines and Jan Vesely. “I know practically all of them" he says. "It's very easy to get on with all the other players. We're putting together the pieces of a very good team."

He was speaking to Barça One while on tour in China. Here are some of the standout quotes from the interview:

Arrival at Barça and targets

“I got the opportunity to come here. I wanted to come here and be part of this team. It was an easy decision. It's very easy to get on with my team-mates.”

“The main thing I want is to win here. The EuroLeague, the ACB, as may trophies as possible. I want to carry on improving as a player, giving my best. I want to get better every day, that's very important for me."

“I'll play wherever! When I was younger, I was a guard. But over time I have learned to be more versatile. Now I can play guard or as a shooter. I can help the team.”

Dreams and lifestyle

“As a kid, I dreamed of playing in the NBA. That's all you see in America. But now I don't know what my dream is. A lot of things change, they're different. There are things that have nothing to do with basketball. The dreams you had as a kid, I don't know if they change, but they become less important."

“When I was young, not to say that I'm now old, I liked to move around more, get to know different countries and teams. But now I like life to be more relaxed.”

“It's difficult all your life. Playing basketball is difficult, getting here too. Getting up every day to help your family, even when you're not playing basketball, it's still hard. But that's life.”

“I'm not serious, I'm just relaxed. I like playing jokes, but they don't play many on me. I like to be relaxed, I'm a laid back kind of person, but I'm not serious!"

“On a normal day, without training, I try to stay at home and relax, playing video games, watching TV, going shopping or eating out."