MALAGA (Spain) - Adjusting to a new and unprecedented challenge isn’t always easy. It applies in life, obviously, as well as in a professional basketball environment.
Chris Duarte has been experiencing it first-hand, crossing the Atlantic Ocean to find himself immersed in a different scenario. But one that could give him more stability. And satisfaction.
"In life, when you cease to be merely an individual and become the head of a family, with three children and a wife, things inevitably have to change," he explains to the BCL website.
"Decisions are no longer mine alone; they are shaped, to a great extent, by my children and my spouse. That is who I am. That is one of the reasons behind the choices I have made."
"I don’t want to be constantly leaping from one place to another every six or eight months. That kind of instability is especially hard on my children," he follows.
Starting all the way from the Dominican Republic, stepping into New York City in high school, and then continuing to move around in college, it looked like he had found his place in the best basketball league worldwide. But things can change quickly.
That’s why in the summer of 2025, he decided to take a turn and head towards Europe. To be more precise, pointing to Malaga, Andalusia, Spain.
"Malaga struck me and still strikes me as a beautiful city that offers an excellent quality of life and gives me the opportunity to compete at a high level in basketball," Duarte says.
You never know whether one door could be closed once and for all. But, for now, Chris Duarte’s chapter in the NBA isn’t reopening as he’s keen on winning with Unicaja.
"I have fulfilled my dreams of reaching the NBA, of playing in the NBA, of earning meaningful minutes there. I will not pretend otherwise: I would have liked my situation in the NBA to have ended up being different, but it did not," he explains.
"That is why I am here, why I chose to come to Europe: because I believed and found a greater sense of stability than the NBA could offer me, at least at this stage of my career."
Actually, he indeed won in a very fast fashion, lifting the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in September in Singapore. In basketball, one doesn’t always have the opportunity to win a trophy only a couple of months after joining a new team.
It was a wonderful experience, my first trophy here in Europe.
"That was also one of the reasons I chose to join Unicaja. It’s a club with a rich heritage, and over the past three years, Ibon (Navarro) and his coaching staff have done an outstanding job," he explains.
"I want to be part of something like that. There is something deeply rewarding about joining a project where there is not only the possibility but the genuine ambition to win titles."
"We have the chance to keep competing. In the BCL, we are currently in a strong position, having reached the Final Four, with a real opportunity to win the tournament once again," he continues, targeting the upcoming BCL Final Four in Badalona.
Shaping a new version of himself
Coming from years in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, the Sacramento Kings, and the Chicago Bulls, it seemed natural that Chris Duarte would have imposed himself in Malaga.
But if something works, don’t change it - as the best ones say. Frankly speaking, Ibon Navarro’s system with Unicaja has been working pretty well to say the least.
"I will be honest: it hasn’t been easy. Even now, there are days when I reflect on his philosophy and on the way he manages the team," the Dominican guard admits.
Beyond that, he is a winning coach, someone who has been doing an excellent job in recent years, and he is committed to helping me. He strives to make me a better player, a more effective and efficient one, and he wants to bring out the very best in me.
"Of course, I would like to play more minutes. I know I have the ability and the capacity to do so. But that is his philosophy, and some things are simply not yours to change," he adds.
Ibon Navarro’s philosophy and minutes distribution have been so effective that basketball lovers in Malaga have enjoyed back-to-back BCL titles in Belgrade and Athens.
Facing AEK BC in the Semi-Finals for the second year in a row, they have a chance to compete once again in the Championship Game. Does this give Chris Duarte and the whole team more pressure? Or an extra motivation to defend their position?
"We do share that collective goal of going out there, seizing that title, and bringing it home. Our supporters are demanding, and rightly so. As players, together with the fans and the club, we are driven by the desire to keep winning trophies and achieving our objectives."
"Pressure? We understand what is required of us. We know we must go there and give our very best. The result will be what it will be."
"It has been a challenging season, marked by numerous absences and physical setbacks within the team, and we are fighting day by day to stay united, to remain whole, and to continue pursuing our goals," Duarte continues.
He has played at the highest levels, knowing what it takes to impose yourself in the NBA. Mainly, hard work and individual improvements, other than being united as a team.
"There is a constant focus on self-improvement, and the prevailing mindset is that the only path to progress is through relentless work. Here, things are somewhat different," he says.
"There is a stronger emphasis on the collective. You spend an hour, an hour and a half, on the court as a team, and then workload management becomes a key consideration. After team practice, there is often limited scope for individual work due to those constraints."
Among the players he has spent time with on the court, in college, he has also shared the same room with an NBA Champion and Sixth Man of the Year.
"When I was at Oregon with Payton Pritchard, I had never seen anyone work harder than that young man. He is the embodiment of dedication. He says it himself, and I witnessed it firsthand. I shared a room with him," he comments on the Boston Celtics player.
"Players performing at that level devote countless hours to the court, to film study, to working with their individual coaches. And, of course, they are blessed to have organizations that allow them to play through their mistakes, to learn in real time."
Embodying the Dominican pride
While winning with Unicaja remains one of Chris Duarte’s moving goals, representing his country internationally will always be a cornerstone of his career.
It’s a matter of culture and being part of a transformation within the affection by his countrymen towards the game of basketball, which is on a constant rise.
"In the Dominican Republic, basketball has grown tremendously in recent years. The fans, the people, la afición, have embraced the sport with far greater passion," Duarte says.
"It is no longer just about baseball. Ten or fifteen years ago, baseball dominated everything; that was all we played. Today, things are different."
The reason stands behind names with a certain background and resume. Dominican players who have stepped on NBA courts, and exciting players who keep on shining on European stages.
"Players like myself, Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jean Montero, Andres Feliz, and many others have taken that step forward, opening doors for those who follow," he says.
"For us, representing the Dominican Republic is a source of immense pride. The love and support we receive, wherever we play, there are always people waving the Dominican flag, which means a great deal to us. It is something that truly resonates."
Among the players mentioned by Duarte, there are two who are currently in the same league as the 29-year-old, respectively with Valencia and Real Madrid.
“Seeing players like Jean Montero and Andres Feliz succeed in these leagues is deeply gratifying. Competing against them is special; we truly enjoy those matchups. We compete at the highest level, and when the game ends, we are like brothers," Duarte comments.
Moreover, there’s another Dominican player who’s entered the ACB stage for the first time in his career, already making noise like his other countrymen.
"Watching Jassel Perez arrive in Granada and already showcase his talent, potential, and skills is immensely positive. It is important because it allows us to keep opening doors around the world for the next generation coming up in the Dominican Republic."
"There is so much talent back home. Everywhere you look, there is talent, not just in baseball, but in basketball as well. And that is a beautiful thing."
"It makes you feel part of something larger, part of a collective achievement. Anything we can do to support the next generation, to open more doors, matters," he emotionally comments.
"Take France, for example: they are now producing a remarkable number of players, seemingly out of nowhere. Perhaps it was not as visible before, but it is the result of French players who took that leap," Duarte mentions.
"Of those who came to Europe, who went to the NBA, who moved abroad to showcase their talent. That has opened doors. Those players seize their opportunities, and they deliver."
Chris Duarte’s first European season has been nothing but an adjustment, cultivated on a quick victory on the other side of the world and grown step by step on the court.
El Padre de la Patria will keep bringing his Caribbean soul to both Unicaja’s and the Dominican Republic national team’s games.
Flowing and moving his body on the floor to achieve success, Badalona will be his dance floor. May Duarte have his bachata?