Tristan da Silva is the newest German talent in the NBA. He is joining the Orlando Magic and will play alongside the Wagner brothers in the future. His path to the top began in Munich.
Tristan da Silva has made it: The 23-year-old forward from Munich was selected 18th in the NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. This means that the former Colorado Buffaloes star will play side by side with the German brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, who are already among the team’s mainstays.
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
The Magic now have the third German player in their ranks and are making Orlando the new German basketball stronghold.
Born in Munich, Tristan da Silva grew up in a sports-loving family. His brother Oscar, who is three years older, is no unknown name in the basketball world. The German international player last played for FC Barcelona for two years and has now returned to Munich and signed a contract with FC Bayern until 2027.
It all started in Munich
Oscar and Tristan’s mother, Christine, comes from the Allgäu region, and their father, Valdemar, comes from Brazil. He used to be a professional boxer, and now he runs a Brazilian restaurant in Munich – the city where Tristan da Silva’s career began. The brothers often played together on an outdoor court in Munich, initially just for fun.
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
Then Tristan started playing for DJK Sportbund München and moved to MTSV Schwabing at the age of 17. At the International Basketball Academy Munich, he was coached by Robert Scheinberg. Scheinberg, who turned out to be a mentor to da Silva, was also in New York for the NBA Draft.
Da Silva also showed his roots in fashion. At the draft, he wore a jacket with a special lining. The Brazilian flag was sewn into one half, the other half was decorated with the Bavarian flag. A tribute to his father’s homeland and his mother’s origins.
If you click here, you will see X content and agree that your data will be processed for the purposes set out in X’s privacy policy. SPORT1 has no influence on this data processing. You also have the option of activating all social widgets. You can find information on revoking your consent here.
In 2020, he finally took the next step and went to college in Colorado. He began his college career with the Colorado Buffaloes without great expectations, but quickly developed into one of the cornerstones of his team. “I went there with almost no expectations. I didn’t know how the Americans play basketball,” Tristan recalled in the BR interview. Last season, he averaged 16.0 points per game with a three-point percentage of 39.5 percent – plus 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals.
Talented off the pitch too
Instead of a professional basketball career, things could have turned out very differently for da Silva. As a teenager, his focus was on music for a long time. In addition to basketball, he also played the trumpet passionately – and very well. By the time he graduated from high school, he had played in two orchestras.
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
But that’s not all. The Munich native is not only a gifted athlete and a good musician, but also a real language talent. He speaks five languages: German, Portuguese, Spanish, French and English.
“How did I get here?”
The trip to the NBA draft was an emotional highlight for the 2.06 meter tall man and his family. His mother Christine described it as “a bit surreal” that the whole family flew to New York to experience first hand which NBA team her son would soon be playing for.
Although Tristan da Silva did not have a favorite franchise, there is still one team that he particularly admires: the Los Angeles Lakers. His favorite player, meanwhile, is Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
With the move to the Orlando Magic, a new chapter begins for the basketball player. The team made it to the playoffs last season and with players like Franz and Moritz Wagner as well as the top talent Paolo Banchero, it offers a promising perspective.
“NBA Draft – when you hear that, everyone thinks: crazy! I think the same thing and ask myself: how did I get here?” Tristan himself admitted in advance. After his draft, the Munich native told the press that he had already been in contact with the Wagner brothers because he shares a mutual friend with the German NBA stars. He now feels “incredible joy. Incredible joy and great relief.”
A new chapter in Orlando
His versatile ability to play as both a small forward and a power forward, and his good movement off the ball, make him a valuable addition to the Magic. Brother Oscar sees his brother’s natural talent as a key skill to succeed in the best basketball league in the world.
Magic President Jeff Weltman emphasized this after the pick: “Before the draft, we set ourselves the goal of adding shooting, skill, IQ and size. Covering all four of those points with the 18th pick is a good day’s work for us. Tristan is a very unique player.”
Tristan da Silva now faces the challenge of proving himself in the NBA. The German basketball community and his family will be keeping their fingers crossed for him.
2024-07-04 20:19:15
#German #NBA #hopeful #ticks
