KIEFFER PUNTER FOR FLOUTER: GROWING UP IN BRONX TAUGHT ME TO HAVE A STRONG BACK!

Kieffer Punter, basketball player of Donji Vakuf and younger brother of Partizan captain Kevin Punter, spoke exclusively to our portal after his arrival in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The subject of the interview was various topics; childhood in New York, importance of family, time in college…

Kieffer is 24 years old and this year’s engagement in the Donji Vakuf will be his first professional and international contract in his career. He comes from Troy College where he spent the previous three years. After last season’s edition, the best and most expressive, he turned to an interesting invitation from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club from Donji Vakuf competes in the first league, together with Spurs from Sarajevo, Borce from Banja Luka, and the former European champion, Bosna.

1. Can you tell us your impressions about adapting to a new environment?

– I’ve been adapting pretty well I would say. This is my first time in Europe so it’s a huge culture swing. But i’m an open person who doesn’t mind different experiences so i’m embracing it as best as I can.

2. How difficult and demanding was it for you to leave the USA and turn to the call from Europe? Did Kevin influence the your arrival in Bosnia?

– When I first thought of the idea of going to Europe to play I honestly wasn’t 100% sure that was something i even wanted to do. I was scared of leaving the United States. I had never been out of the country before and to suddenly get up and leave America was something that i had to really take time to be okay with. Kevin influenced me more so with being comfortable with going to Europe. For me I didn’t come to Bosnia through his influence personally.

3. Really, when you look at growing up in the Bronx, what can you tell us about that period?

– I had a lot of fun growing up in the Bronx honestly. That’s home for me so obviously I may be a bit biased but I loved growing up in New York. It taught me to have tough skin. You see a lot at a young age and you experience things that a lot of other kids don’t. Unfortunately there are a lot of distractions and a lot of stuff going on that could deter you from doing the right things but my parents were the best in protecting us and keeping us away from things that we had no business being apart of.

4. Family is often the key to success, not only in sports, but in general. How much did your close people help you in life and basketball?

– I’m not a pro right now if it isn’t for my family. They’ve been my guides since i picked up a basketball. I’m a byproduct of what they’ve taught me and what they’ve showed me. It extends further than just my brother but my mother and father are just as important to my development as a man as much as a basketball player. So all the credit goes to the household I was raised in.

5. You were in college with the Troy Trojans. What made you choose that school and what can you tell us about your time in Alabama?

– I probably grew the most as a man when I was at Troy. I spent three years under Coach Scott Cross he was the reason i committed there in 2020 and i have nothing but love and respect for him. He’s a great coach and an even better human being. My time in Alabama was nothing short of learning experiences. I enjoyed my time there and will forever be thankful for the time i spent in Alabama.

6. You are now in Donji Vakuf. This is practically your first professional engagement. How does it feel living in a small place like Donji Vakuf after growing up in one of the world’s largest cities, New York?

– Living in Donji Vakuf is a bit different then what im used to but the adjustment hasn’t been too difficult if i have to be honest. I’m very to myself, I don’t really like to engage with too many people I kind of stay to myself and don’t really expand outside of my bubble. So being that this town is very small the adjustment hasn’t been too rough. I’m able to be enjoy just being in solitude.

7. What are the first impressions of Bosnia, the team, the coach?

– Don’t have too many impressions on Bosnia really. I haven’t really been able to go anywhere outside of Vakuf so i’m not too familiar with the environment. But for the team, I was impressed with the level of intensity and heart that my teammates play with. And I had conversations with coach prior to me signing here so I already had positive thoughts coming into this situation for sure.

8. And lastly, did you get a chance to watch your brother’s games at Partizan, and if so, what were your thoughts about his performances and the performance of the team in general?

– I did watch the game against Maccabi. Before I speak about my brother and partizan. I just want to send my prayers to the people of Israel. But it was there first game of Euroleague they didn’t get the win but it’s a long season. It’s a new team that has to figure out each other and build chemistry. Those kinds of things take time. They will be fine moving forward. I spoke with Kevin about the game. Of course he was upset they lost but we spoke about how he played and one of the biggest things that stood out was his lack of aggression. So I expect to see him more aggressive moving forward and I think that will help them tremendously moving forward as well.