Former Placer basketball star Pineiro making a name for himself overseas

Former Placer High School boys basketball star Isaiah Pineiro is making a name for himself overseas. Pineiro, who graduated from Placer in 2013, is playing for Darussafaka Basketball in Istanbul, Turkey. He is averaging 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. During his senior year at Placer, Pineiro excelled on the basketball court and football field. He averaged 20.4 points per game on the hardwood after leading the state with nine interceptions on the gridiron. "Isaiah was a true human true Hillman. He worked extremely hard, had attention to detail and was a competitor and leader. He was a lot of fun to coach because he was like a sponge. He absorbed everything and then he'd go out every night and compete," said Placer basketball coach Mark Lee. "He came up as a sophomore on the varsity, was all elbows and kneecaps and fell down half the time, but he just kept getting better and better and better. He spent a lot of time on his trade, and it's paid off for him." "He was a phenomenal young man to coach. He is very intelligent and had great natural instincts," said Placer football coach Joey Montoya. "He was truly a hard worker and had high character. He was also just a great guy to be around. Very mature and intelligent for his age." After his time at Placer, Pineiro went to Sierra College before transferring to Portland State and then the University of San Diego. "Sierra made me realize the worth of hard work. A true gym rat was created there," Pineiro said. "The mentality that was created there has been my driving factor so far in my career. I knew that if I wanted to be successful, I had to be the hardest worker." Following his college days, Pineiro was a member of the Sacramento Kings Summer League team before making his professional debut with the NBA G-League's Stockton Kings. "Honestly, playing for the Kings was awesome. From growing up going to Kings games at Arco to actually putting on a Kings jersey was special," Pineiro said. "But the best part was having all my friends and family being able to be there for me at that special time in my career. Also, meeting former Kings players was pretty cool." Pineiro got his first taste of international basketball in 2019, when he represented Puerto Rico in the FIBA World Cup. Puerto Rico finished 15th out of 32 teams. "It was such an amazing experience all around that it will be one of my favorite basketball memories. Being able to represent Puerto Rico has become one of my greatest accomplishments as an athlete, especially on such a big stage," Pineiro said. "We advanced to the second round for the first time in years, and to see and feel the support from a whole island and more was amazing. It was also my first time playing against NBA players and players at the highest level teams in Europe, so it opened my eyes to the talent internationally." Pineiro stayed international following the World Cup, spending time with VEF Riga and the Quebradillas Pirates before landing with Darussafaka. "I always knew (the international route) was an option for me and after my season in the G-League, we discussed our options and heading overseas was the best one for me for that season," Pineiro said. "My dream has always been to play in the NBA and that hasn't changed." Pineiro said the game played in Europe is very different from the game in North America. For example, the three-point line is closer in international basketball and the defense is allowed to play the ball while it is still on the rim. One of the biggest challenges for American players, however, is the language barrier overseas. "If you are lucky, they will speak English or you hope for broken English at least. Google Translate becomes your most used app," Pineiro said. "It can be very difficult but at the same time very rewarding. It's hard to be away from your family and friends for nine to 10 months out of the year. It's hard not getting a break around the holidays." Even through the challenges, Pineiro said the experience of playing internationally is unmatched. "Thankfully, I have my wife with me, who is an amazing woman and supports me daily. If you look at the positives, it makes it all worth it. Being able to chase your dream and play basketball as a job, being able to travel the world and be immersed in a different culture for a couple months is amazing if you take advantage of it."