By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
For a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic that picks up sports, the obvious choice was, is and probably will forever be baseball.
Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic, and the country has a very long tradition of exporting numerous players to the big stage: specifically, the USA’s Major League Baseball. Most young people who dream of a successful career as an athlete will grab a bat and a mitt rather than a basketball.
It didn’t take long for Valencia Basket guard Jean Montero to make up his mind as to which sport hits all the right buttons for him.
“I was easily bored while growing up,” Montero told Eurohoops. “I wanted to get to be active. I wanted to get tired. I wanted to run. Do something, have some activity in the game that requires a lot of running and all the stuff in it. That’s why I chose basketball. I was playing both baseball and basketball, but basketball was just more fun to me.”
For an energetic youngster like Montero, sprinting up and down the court, jumping, being in constant motion and alertness truly appealed to his restless nature.
He had also found out early on that there’s no true meaning in being occupied with something unless he truly enjoys it. So when he discovered how basketball satisfies the thrill and excitement he was craving, he never looked back and fully dedicated himself to hoops.
“Most people in the island play baseball because of the money. Growing up, for me, it was mostly about having fun,” Montero added. “I wanted to have fun then, the same way I want to have fun now when I’m playing.”
Montero was driven to basketball and began taking his involvement with it more and more seriously because of the joy it was bringing him. Because it fulfilled him on different levels.
Now that he’s a professional player, he still follows a similar kind of mindset in the sense that he has set other priorities, aspirations and dreams above mere financial gain.
“I had this kind of conversations with my agent about that during summer, actually,” Montero admitted. “I don’t really follow money at this point. And I shouldn’t. I’m still young, I’m 21. If you follow money, it’ll take you nowhere. I want to compete, improve every day, and become better. If you follow the money, you stop being great. I want glory in this sport. I don’t want to be following just money. I want to have fun, compete every day and then whatever comes, I’ll take it.”
The basketball path that Montero chose led him to Spain in his teens and the start of his career. He joined Dreamland Gran Canaria and made his debut in both the BKT EuroCup and the Spanish League at 17 years of age. He went on to claim back-to-back Spanish League Best Young Player awards in 2023 and 2024 as a player of Real Betis and MoraBanc Andorra, respectively, before signing with Valencia last summer.
Now, Montero is one of the strongest Rising Star candidates in the EuroCup – and even more. At 21 years of age, he delivers the biggest impact for Valencia’s offense, being ranked second on the team in points and first assists with 12.4 and 5.2, respectively, to go with his 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals.
With Montero as a key bucket-generating force, Valencia currently has the best record in the competition at 15-2 while producing a league-high 97.7 points per game.
“I really appreciate the work and the trust that all the coaching staff has put into me,” Montero reacted humbly when hearing all those numbers. “Because I think that’s one of the main reasons why my stats look so well right now. Obviously, my talent and the work I’ve been putting have taken me there so far on the road to where I want to be.
“I’m a competitor. Every time I step on the court I’m trying to do my best. I really appreciate what God gives me.”
When he signed with Valencia last summer just a few days after turning 21, Montero wasn’t really anticipating anything, let alone quickly gaining a significant role that would allow him to establish himself as one of the most important players on the team.
It wasn’t because he didn’t trust in his abilities, talent and the day-to-day grind he’s been putting in through the years. It was that he learned long ago that nothing is granted and the only way up is by putting his nose to the grindstone. That he will have to earn his keep.
“I don’t expect anything from anybody because, at the end of the day, nobody has given me anything,” Montero said. “Every summer I’m working hard and I’m trying to think about how I can gain the trust of my coach, how can I get my spot on the team. It’s not that I expect somebody to give me something during my career. I want to earn it, I want to own it. That’s one of the main things and why I’m a competitor. For me to expect something from somebody is not right. You’ve got to make people trust you and own it.”
It didn’t take long for Montero to gain the trust of coach Pedro Martinez. After coming off the bench in Valencia’s first four contests in the EuroCup this season, he soon became a starter and retained that position for most of the following games.
“I always try to improve our trust,” Montero said of his relationship with Coach Martinez. “Doing weekly what he wants from us. How he sees me doing practice. How I can improve. Those little details are what takes players to the next level. I really appreciate the trust he has given me.
“He likes people who compete. People who give 100% every day, every practice and every game. That’s one of the main reasons how you can gain his trust. “
Halfway through the season, Montero had emerged as a bona fide sensation in the competition. It’s no wonder that he was the top choice among EuroCup general managers when they were asked which player they would sign during the annual survey.
“My friends sent it to me on Instagram,” Montero said. “Obviously, I feel great. Having people who really like your game, it’s really cool. I really appreciate those who picked me on that survey.”
What makes Montero’s run even more impressive is that he’s succeeding with the kind of responsibility that comes with being a pivotal member on the team many expect to win it all.
Valencia is a perennial EuroCup powerhouse, a four-time champion that is built to win the title and return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, where the club feels it belongs. Montero is a firm believer in the lofty goals set, but at the same time understands that the road to the top is a tricky one.
“Obviously we should take any title we compete for,” Montero said. “Win everything. That should be the overall goal.”
“With that said, I don’t think it’s pressure. Everything has to do with how you work daily, how hard you’re trying to be at the highest you can. For us to think about the EuroLeague next season. It’s the main goal but it’s not like we’ve got to keep thinking [about it] every game, every day. We just have to keep our feet on the ground. Trying to do our best every day, during practice and games. Take it day by day. Don’t rush it because at the end of the day it’s all about how hard you work daily during the whole season. We’re thinking about the now and how we want to improve every day.”
As a proud representative of the Dominican Republic in the basketball world, Montero loves seeing other people from his country succeed in the field, or anywhere.
That is why watching fellow Dominican Al Horford winning the 2024 NBA championship title with the Boston Celtics put a big smile on his face. Even though he’s a fan of the team’s historic rival.
“My favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers because I was a Kobe Bryant fan growing up. Obviously, I support all my people,” Montero said. “All Dominicans. I really wish them the best every year, every day. I was so proud of being Dominican and having the Boston Celtics win the championship, because Al Horford is Dominican and Dominicans support each other.”
Montero has yet to play alongside Horford on his national team but became an international teammate of another NBA star in 2023 when Karl-Anthony Towns joined the Dominican Republic for the FIBA World Cup.
“He’s amazing,” Montero said of Towns. “An amazing person. As soon as he got on the court with us in Malaga, I remember the first practice and he was so cool with us. Dancing with us, sharing conversations with us. He got into the team so much and felt so close to us. Even though he wasn’t born [in the Dominican Republic] and didn’t grow up on the island, personality-wise and mentality-wise he was one of us, 100 percent.”
All photos are courtesy of Miguel Angel Polo and Valencia Basket