Grit, Growth, and Going Pro: Kevin Punter '11 from the Bronx to FC Barcelona

Kevin Punter wasn't accepted to Salesian High School the first time he applied. Fifteen years later, his jersey hangs in the gym. Steve Sallustio sits down with the Class of 2011 grad, now in his eleventh season of professional basketball and playing for FC Barcelona, days after his induction into the Salesian Athletics Hall of Fame. Kevin walks through the interview that got him in on the spot, the ninth grade math class where Steve was quietly asked to keep an eye on him, and the four city championships and state title he won with a group that had been playing together since JV. Then he gets honest about what came after: no grades, no offers, no Division I body, a year at prep school, two years at junior college in Sedalia, Missouri, and a senior season at Tennessee where he was averaging more than 20 a game with NBA scouts at practice until a navicular fracture ended it. He talks about the call from Kevin Durant, signing his first pro contract before he owned a passport, and why he chose Europe over sitting on a bench. His message to every athlete listening is that the road is almost never the one you drew up.Salesian High School was founded in 1920 and is an independent school within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools serving the Westchester County and Bronx areas. Learn more about Salesian High School.Keep up to date with Salesian High School! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn