It had been 4 long years of waiting, but the night of June 26th had finally arrived for Robby Scheinberg as he was in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York waiting to share the biggest basketball moment of Tristan Da Silva (206-F-2001). Scheinberg was Tristan´s U-19 head coach at IBAM and was sitting at a table with the Da Silva family and their friends. Da Silva had had a stellar 4 year career at the University of Colorado and now would be rewarded by being drafted at #18 by the Orlando Magic. Being able to experience the biggest basketball night in Tristan Da Silva´s young career was definitely one he was going to cherish forever. Scheinberg has definitely seen his share of big German basketball talents in the last 20 years in Germany, but on this night, he was in another universe. He could easily have gone to the doctor the next morning somewhere between Times Square and Central Park and complained about neck pain after turning his head so many times during Draft night with all the incredible NBA legends walking around. It is an evening he will never forget and there was one encounter that will forever stay close in his heart. “There were so many ex NBA players that I saw like guys like Andre Iguodala or Richard Jefferson, but the one moment I will remember most will be meeting Joe Dumars. It was my time when he played with the Pistons. I spoke 10 minutes with him at the NBA lunch at the Rockefeller center. He works now for the NBA and we spoke a little about a cooperation with the NBA and basketball in Germany. Mrs Da Silva took a photo of Joe and I. I will cherish it forever”, stated Robby Scheinberg.

I reach Robbie Scheinberg on a Thursday night at 10.00 pm German time while he was relaxing at a Starbucks in New York city still reviewing the amazing evening at the NBA draft for the Da Silva´s and himself. He was alone now as he had said farewell to all. Tristan and his parents were on their way to Orlando for the obligatory welcome to the Magic appointments with the press while Oscar was on his way back to Munich, Germany as in a few days the German national team would begin their preparation for the 2024 Olympics. It is only obvious that he is extremely proud and overjoyed that his ex player was drafted. “It was clear that Tristan would be drafted somewhere between 12-18. He had had 6-8 very good workouts with NBA teams. I had no fear that he wouldn´t get drafted even if 2 top players from Duke and Kansas didn´t get drafted in the first round. Tristan´s dream was to be drafted by Miami, Lakers or Orlando. He got his wish”, laughed Robby Scheinberg. And one could say that this seems to be a match made in heaven. “The Magic wanted a versatile player with a high IQ. He will help them especially with his shooting, but he can also bring the ball and rebound well. The Magic are a rising team with a Euro style of play stacked with really good guards. I think that he will find his role and adjust quickly, because he has such a high IQ. I think the more stronger he gets he will be able to also play more in the post if needed and continue to make big steps also attacking out of passes. Orlando wanted him bad. You could really feel it. This was a picture perfect plan. It all went super smooth”, commented Robby Scheinberg. He played at the University of Colorado from 2020-2024 playing a total of 121 NCAA games. His game developed greatly there as his points/rebound average went from 9/3 in his sophomore season to 16/5 in his last 2 seasons and he almost eclipsed the 40% mark from downtown. He reached the NIT Sweet 16 and a few months ago helped his team make a run at March Madness having 3 brilliant games against Boise State (20 points), Florida (17 points) and Marquette (17 points). There was one individual at the University of Colorado that really helped him increase his athleticism what he so dearly needs at the NBA level. “To be honest, Tristan didn´t really need to do much with his skills, because he is so talented. It was his athleticism that grew tremendously. His power was missing and athletic trainer Steve Englehardt helped him gain what was missing. Steve is the reason why he made the jump to the NBA. Tristan also benefited from head coach Tad Boyle who is a great in game coach. He allowed Tristan to play to his strength and helped him tremendously mentally. I remember 4 years ago that Tad Boyle wasn´t impressed at first simply because Tristan was too small, but to hear him tell me now that he was one of the best players that he ever coached made me very happy and proud”, expressed Robby Scheinberg.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Tristan Da Silva after a U-19 game in Frankfurt as he supplied 10 points in a IBAM loss in 2020

Tristan Da Silva followed his brother Oscar to IBAM and was coached by Robby Scheinberg for 2,5 years. It wasn´t an easy time mainly because Covid popped up and ended his season early and unexpectedly in March 2020. “When he first came to us, it wasn´t easy. There were so many other guys hyped like a Sasha Grant for example. We were fully loaded with guys like Obiesie, Leuchten, and Rodriguez, so he needed some time. We had really strong athletic players and that really helped him and pushed him. The next year, he was our leader”, remembered Robby Scheinberg. Brother Oscar had been a delight to coach for Scheinberg and it wasn´t any different with Tristan. “Coaching him was a no brainer. He was slim at the start, but worked so hard to get stronger. He was versatile, could play many positions and had a great shot. He always reminded me a bit of a Franz Wagner. He was so smart and a real fast learner. What some guys learned in a month, he could understand in a week”, remembered Robbie Scheinberg. Brother Oscar has made his mark as a pro player already reaching the Euroleague with FC Barcelona and has 97 Euroleague games under his belt before his 25th birthday, but are the brothers identical players? Of course not. “The guys are very different. Tristan has that special gene in that he always wants to win and has no fear for the challenge to take that last shot. Oscar is that good role player at a very high level. Tristan can decide a game and I think that is why the NBA was so interested in him”, warned Robby Scheinberg.

Tristan Da Silva has all the tools for a great professional career, but what kind of guy will people experience off the court in Orlando? “Tristan is a very funny guy that loves to tell jokes. He is a normal guy with a sense of humor with no arrogance at all. That is the Bavarian way. You saw a lot of seriousness at the NBA draft, but we were all joking and eating chips at our table. There are so many ways to be successful in life, but you don´t always have to be serious. When I said farewell to Tristan, he was on his way to Orlando, and he wasn´t going the traditional way of wearing the Magic cap, but had a Thomas Mueller jersey on”, laughed Robby Scheinberg. Scheinberg won´t only have that carefree and fun side of Tristan on his mind, but also remember his play on the court back when he was playing at IBAM. He made massive strides at IBAM averaging 8.7ppg, 3.7rpg, 1.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 57.6%, 3PT: 20.7%, FT: 71.4% in his first season to averaging 16.9ppg, 7.3rpg, 3.8apg, 2.7spg, FGP: 53.2%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 68.4% in his second season. There is one game that Scheinberg will never forget. “I will never forget the game against Ludwigsburg. Ariel Huckporti was a player that was already hyped at that time in 2020. He had just returned from the Basketball Without Boarders camp where Tristan hadn´t been invited to. Tristan took it as motivation and played an incredible game with 13/8/5/1/3 stats. Our center was missing so Tristan had to play center and held Huckporti to 2 points and dunked in his face”, remembered Robby Scheinberg. Ariel Huckporti was also drafted at #58 by the Dallas Maverick and traded to the New York Knicks. Who knows maybe one day, they will meet again in the NBA.

This season following the Orlando Magic will add an extra spice as there will be 3 Germans playing for one NBA team with Franz and Moritz Wagner and Tristan da Silva, something that has never happened before. “It is a sensation for German basketball that there are 3 Germans with the Magic. It is so unique. The 3 will fit very well. Both the Wagner and Da Silva families are alike. They are smart and funny guys with a certain edge. It couldn´t have happened any better for Tristan than landing in Orlando”, stressed Robby Scheinberg. How often do you see NBA draft picks over the years not pan out and never play in the NBA? It happens as 2 good examples of guys that played in Germany that were drafted and never played an NBA game were German Peter Fehse and Senegal center Malick Badiane. However Robby Scheinberg has total confidence that Tristan da Silva won´t just play in the NBA, but will be a NBA lifer. “Tristan has no fear. I will be very surprised if he can´t adjust to the NBA. He will be in the NBA for a long time. He won´t return to Europe before his 30th birthday”, warned Robby Scheinberg. But not only is Tristan Da Silva a joker, but so is Robbie Scheinberg. He came up with the ultimate prediction. “There are 3 Germans in Orlando and only one person is missing. You already have the numbers #21 and #22 in Orlando and now Tristan will wear #23. Wouldn´t it be great to add #24 with Oscar. Then there would almost be half of the German national team in Orlando. Then I bet it would be even easier to get the Orlando Magic to come to Germany for a game”, laughed Robby Scheinberg. We will have to see if that prediction from Robby Scheinberg ever comes true.