Tristan da Silva, how did you celebrate Christmas this year? The German or American way?
TRISTAN DA SILVA: Of course, I spoke extensively on the phone to my parents, my brother and my grandparents in Germany and wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Since I haven’t been home for six years now, I’ve gotten used to not celebrating Christmas at home anymore. I did this very comfortably here in Orlando with my girlfriend.
You are currently completing your second season in the NBA with the Orlando Magic. What did you learn in your last rookie season or what experiences were you able to gain that will benefit you now?
DA SILVA: Because of the playing time I got in the previous season, I was of course able to gain a lot of experience. These are all things that help you grow as a player. Of course you have to get used to the league first. It’s just a different game with slightly different rules. At the end of the day you just have to try to pull through and do your thing like before. After all, that’s exactly what brought me here.
How important were your two German teammates Franz and Moritz Wagner as reference people, especially in your first NBA season?
DA SILVA: That was definitely very helpful and a kind of comfort zone for me. For example, I was invited to their house for Christmas last year. By the way, the same as this time, but I was already booked (laughs). In principle, it is certainly always an advantage if you have people in your corner that you trust, who can look after you and tell you how certain things work.
Before coming to the NBA, you played four years in college for the Colorado Buffaloes, during which time you also earned your degree in finance. Why did you choose this subject and is it something you still benefit from today?
DA SILVA: I just found it interesting and I really enjoyed working in this direction. Basically, I am someone who is scientifically and mathematically oriented and is good with numbers. For that reason alone, it made sense to focus on finance. However, I’m also a financial advisor now (laughs). It’s not that far yet.
You have taken two big steps in your career so far: from your hometown of Munich (IBAM Munich/MTSV Schwabing) to college in Colorado and from college to the NBA to the Orlando Magic. In your opinion, which was the bigger leap?
DA SILVA: For me personally, it’s more of a step from Germany to the USA, i.e. from IBAM to college! When you play in college, you suddenly have to deal with, among other things, physically strong guys like the ones running around here. They have an NBA body or NBA talent – or both! You play against these players for a year in college before they enter the draft. In this sense, the German NBBL (Youth Basketball Bundesliga) and college are two completely different worlds.
To stay briefly with your domestic basketball past: What was your career like at the International Basketball Academy in Munich before you then – as mentioned – moved to college?
DA SILVA: Well, I completed one and a half years of NBBL at IBAM. When they saw what direction I could take, I sat down with the person in charge there, Robby Scheinberg, and discussed what the best path would be for me. By the way, the whole thing started with my brother Oscar (plays for FC Bayern Munich and in the national team, editor’s note), who played both the JBBL and NBBL there. Ultimately, Robby pointed me in the right direction. I then switched to IBAM mid-term, where I worked for a year and a half before finally moving to college in 2020. From that point of view, everything went pretty smoothly.
Photo: Orlando Magic
This description undoubtedly also applies to your 2024/25 season. In addition to her NBA rookie season with the Orlando Magic, she made her debut in the German men’s national team in the summer of 2025 and won the European Championship title. How often does this triumph with the DBB selection in Riga come to your mind even a few months later?
DA SILVA: Definitely very often! Of course, we still have our group chat from the European Championships, in which we write to each other regularly. Dennis Schröder has also made us a few shirts that he will send to us in the near future. Otherwise, of course, my medal is at home and I also still have shirts and jerseys from this event. These are certainly all great memories.
Speaking of Dennis Schröder: The captain of the DBB selection recently spoke again in an interview with our newspaper about the incredible team spirit of the German team and described it as the key to the past successes such as the World Cup and European Championship titles. Did you also feel the same way as a “newcomer”?
DA SILVA: I can only confirm that! Of course, it takes a few days at the beginning in which you first have to get used to the boys or the team dynamics. However, everyone welcomed me with extremely open arms, so I had no problems at all finding my way into the team. The boys gave me really great support. You just noticed that everyone only wants the best for their teammate. At the end of the day, you all pull together. The national team is not about contracts or being a professional, but about shared success and representing Germany in the best possible way. I really enjoyed it and I’m already looking forward to more tournaments with the team.
Photo: Dirk Sing
As you know, on January 15, 2026 you will be playing with the Orlando Magic in Berlin, where an official league game will be played on German soil for the first time in NBA history. The opponents will then be the Memphis Grizzlies. How excited are you for this match?
DA SILVA: Very large! My family and many friends will come. I’m also looking forward to a real kebab (laughs). Apart from the weather, it’s certainly nice to be in Germany again. But it will definitely be a cool trip for my teammates from the Magic as we know there are a lot of sights in Berlin. You will also learn a lot about German culture and way of life.
Finally, to stay on the topic of Germany: At the gala on December 21st in Baden-Baden, the DBB selection was named “Team of the Year 2025” for winning the European Championship title. What significance does such a high-ranking award have for you?
DA SILVA: It’s definitely a great appreciation and, in my opinion, reflects how German basketball has grown over the past six or seven years. Above all, of course, with Dennis Schröder, but also Franz and Moritz Wagner and Daniel Theis, who have put in an incredible amount of work and hard work to raise German basketball to this level. I think you shouldn’t and shouldn’t take it for granted that these guys come every summer and play for the national team. Therefore, this honor goes primarily to her.
To person: Tristan da Silva was born on May 15, 2001 in Munich. After starting out in basketball at the DJK Sportbund Munich, he finally moved to the International Basketball Academy Munich (IBAM) in 2018, for which he played in the youth basketball Bundesliga. At the same time, he went hunting for baskets for the MTSV Schwabing regional league men’s team. After four years at college in Colorado, he finally made the jump to the NBA in 2024 to the Orlando Magic, where German brothers Moritz and Franz Wagner also play.
