Every once in a while, you will see a set of brothers on a team. In the NBA there have been some brothers on the same team like The Wagners in Orlando, or some years ago Caleb and Cody Martin in Charlotte. Last season in the NBA there were actually 2 set of brothers on the same team as the Milwaukee Bucks sported the services of Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Brook and Robin Lopez. That same scenario happened last season as well in Germany as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had Drago and Ivan Crnjac as well as Joscha and Leif Zengraf. ‘There are a lot of comparisons between both brother duo’s. I would say that they are better shooters, but we are better inside. We understand each other very well’, said Leif Zentgraf (198-SF-2005). Drago is 4,5 years older than Ivan while Leif is 1,30 minutes older than Joscha. The Zengrafs are a very special case in that they are twins. As twins they have been together all their life and obviously spent a lot of time on the court. Playing together all their life has brought out the best in them and it wasn’t always tranquil, but what do you expect when you have 2 very competitive guys who are brothers. ‘I would like to say that I found love to basketball before he did. Growing up with him and playing basketball was always competitive, but we helped each other move ahead in the game. When we were growing up in Munster, we always played together on an outside court. We had bloody noses sometimes after we played. Our mother was very scared. We played so much 1-1 and let out our aggressiveness as nobody wanted to lose to the other. We always played with a competitive nature against each other and competitive nature has remained with us until this day.To be able to play on the same team was very nice. We had a very good connection on the court. I always looked for him when I’m driving. We knew where the other guy always was’, stressed Leif Zentgraf.

The Zentgraf brothers in the BCM in Frankfurt

Leif Zentgraf who mentions ex ACB player of Real Madrid and Current FC Bayern Munich player Dino Radoncic and Speyer guard DJ Woodmore as being his toughest opponents so far on the court was born on November 14, 2005 in Frankfurt. Like so many German kids, he began with soccer and found his love to basketball later when he was 11 years old. His dad played second Bundesliga for Tuebingen and helped him get connected to the game. He played in a camp in Munster and found basketball to be fun and then ended playing soccer. He began in the UBC Munster U-12 team and after the family moved to Frankfurt, he joined the U-14 team of the Fraport Skyliners. Like so many other enthusiastic German boys, his favorite player was Dirk Nowitzki mainly because he was a legend and enjoyed his game, because he wasn’t athletic, but could dominate in other ways. He also loved Kobe Bryant because of his Mamba mentality and work ethic. When he arrived in Frankfurt, his favorite Skyliners were legend Quantez Robertson and Mike Morrison. Off the court he did his Abitur (last year of high school) and his favorite courses were sport and english. He made his NBBL (U-19) debut 2 weeks before his 17th birthday in the 2021-2022 season playing 12 minutes in a 69-47 win over Giessen. He would average 20 minutes that season averaging 4,0ppg and 2,6rpg and shot a respectable 32% from outside. His best game that season was in a win over Sud Hessen where he contributed 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. ‘I was very unsure about my game in my first NBBL season. I didn’t know what my strengths or weaknesses were. I’m very grateful that I could play so much. I was able to develop further and I found my strength as a shooter. Bennet Schubert pushed me a lot. He was like a role model for me. He always tried to integrate me in talks and would talk to me and help my game’, stated Leif Zentgraf. His 2022-2023 season was cut short due to a foot injury. He didn’t miss much that season, because the NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners won only 1 game. He played 3 NBBL games and helped the team win their only game of the season over the Tornados scoring 10 points. He also had a great game in a losing cause against FC Bayern Munich with a 13/3/2/1/1 game. He averaged 8,0ppg and 3,7rpg and also made his Pro B debut against Ehingen. ‘We had a poor NBBL season. We had problems staying together as a team and with our work ethic. Too many guys hung their heads after loses and too many were worried about their stats. Despite missing most of the season, I was able to make strides last summer playing much 3-3 games and was able to step up my physicality’, commented Leif Zentgraf.

The German forward who lists Jordan Samare, Nolan Adekunle, Alvin Onyia, Alex Richardson and Trevian Bell as his best teammates of all-time made another step last season in the NBBL and Pro B. His role in the NBBL really grew in the 2023-2024 season as he has jumped to second team top scorer after go to guy Dusan Nikolic. ‘I played the 3-4 position and did many different things like playing pick and role and creating for others. I didn’t just stand in the corner and shoot three’s. I helped lead the team and on defense I rebounded and defended against bigger 3-4 players’, said Leif Zentgraf. In the 2023-2024 NBBL season, he averaged 14.0ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.1apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 59.7%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 70.2%. He scored in double figures 10 times including 22 points against Hanau and 19 points against Sudhessen. He also played 9,0 minutes per game in the Pro B averaging 1,6ppg and 1,1rpg. His role was very different in the Pro B, but he understood exactly what he needed to do to be as successful as possible. ‘It was new for me to play Pro B. The style is different to the NBBL, but I have gotten used to it. My role is to play as well as I can and be an active defender. I know I won’t get many offensive opportunities, but if I can get some transition baskets here and there would be nice. I want to be able to make an impact defensively’, warned Leif Zentgraf. He played against FC Bayern Munich 2 and saw how 8 year ACB player Dino Radoncic and highly talented German Ivan Khartchenkov combined for 40 points in a 95-78 win. It was a crazy experience playing against such an experienced player like Radoncic. ‘I defended him once on a possession. His moves were scary to see. You can hardly believe what he is doing on the court. You realize he is playing at a totally different level. I understand that I have to make many steps to reach his level’, commented Leif Zentgraf. He also doesn’t understand why a guy like Ivan Khartchenkov isn’t on any NBA Mock Drafts yet. ‘Ivan is so talented. He has really improved his physicality which has helped him become dominant. The shots he makes are crazy. His self confidence is so high. He plays an important role on that team’, added Leif Zentgraf who lists Lebron as his GOAT.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Leif Zentgraf at BCM Frankfurt

The twin brother who lists Lebron, Jordan, Kobe and Durant on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore and Nowitzki, Jokic, Doncic and Dennis Schroeder on his personal Euro Mount Rushmore is an allrounder that compares his game to a Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic. He is a player that has a similar style where he can shoot and drive. His ex NBBL coach Thore Bethke describes him as a very fine player. ‘I know what he means by that. I may not be the most athletic player, but I understand the game well. I play smart as opposed to being to physically aggressive. I play using fundamentals. I like to find others, make flashy passes or special dribble moves’, said Leif Zentgraf. He also doesn’t only want to make an impact and be versatile on the offense end, but also on the defensive end. ‘I’m a physical defender that can cover bigger players. I know how to use my body well guarding bigger players. I can make an impact inside. But I still have problems against smaller guards because I’m lacking a little speed’, warned Leif Zentgraf. Young players should always be working on all aspects of their game and it isn’t any different with him, but there are some aspects of his game that he is concentrating on most at the moment. ‘Communication on defense is important as well as not getting pushed away on straight drives. I’m concentrating on going as straight as possible in order to finish better or make the kick out pass. I’m also concentrating on 1-1 defense’, stressed Leif Zentgraf. All in all, it isn’t only the coaching staff in Frankfurt that has helped him progress his game further, but also twin Joscha. ‘I feel like Joscha has really helped me know how to use my body correctly. He is wider and more physical. That has really helped change my game positively. Some years ago I never thought about bumps, but now I know how to create space’, warned Leif Zentgraf. He turned 18 a few months ago and is an ambitious player that decided to take on a new challenge and will play with Pro B team TSV Neustadt this season. He definitely is a very talented German player that surely will go his route in the next years. Over the years one of my favorite questions in interviews especially with American players is who won a 1-1 in a game with one of their ex college teammates. 99% of the time, the guy asked takes themselves. How is it in a 1-1 between Leif and Joscha? Well Leif was very neutral and not self absorbed and went with 50/50. I wonder if Joscha would be as diplomatic and answer the same as his twin?