Pic Credit: Jan Pawliczek

2025 Was a very exciting time for young German players with the influx to the NCAA. So many took the trek across the Atlantic with heavy prospects like Ivan Kharchenkov, Hannes Steinbach, Declan Duru and Johan Grunloh to just name a few. The last months remained very exciting as many have taken the NCAA by storm winning and putting up great numbers. However not every talented German took this step as some have stayed in Germany to use other options and advantages. One of those guys is talented guard Jonathan Zeisberger who took the jump from IBAM to Pro B team TSV Oberaching Tropics. The Pro B is a different route than the NCAA, but still a respectable one where guys can get good minutes and prepare themselves for higher leagues playing against men. The young German has exploded this season putting up astronomical scoring numbers. He is displaying that he had no problems taking that next step form the youth league NBBL to the Pro B. Whereas other German guys are taking the NCAA by storm, he is doing very well in the Pro B and knows that there will be fruitful opportunities down the road. I want to keep improving, and for the future, I‘m keeping all options open. The NCAA and college basketball are definitely an option, but playing in Pro A or BBL would also be really exciting”, stressed Jonathan Zeisberger (185-PG-2006) He recently got a double license to play with Pro A team Bayreuth as he continues to climb the basketball ladder.

The scoring guard who lists Ivan Kharchenkov as his toughest opponent so far in his career was born on September 30th, 2006 in Germany. As is so often the case when your young, soccer was his first option as a kid and not basketball. He played on a soccer team with his friends, but soon basketball did follow when he was 8 years old. His mother played professionally and introduced him to the sport. His older brothers also played and basketball soon became a sport that he adored. His earliest basketball inspiration was his family, but he also had one special player that really motivated him. “The player who inspired me the most was James Harden. I loved his creativity, his scoring ability, and the way he controlled the game”, said Jonathan Zeisberger He began his basketball career at TSV Olching where his mom was also a coach. He then joined IBAM where he would develop his game a lot the last years. The most famous players to ball at Ibam where the Da Silva brothers Oscar and Tristan who reached the Euroleague and NBA. “Playing at IBAM was really awesome, definitely a great experience. I had really great coaches like Darryl Siegel, Georg Eichler and Danilo Barthel who guided me and helped me develop my game. Tristan and Oscar Da Silva weren‘t really role models for me because they played different positions than I do. Of course, I have followed their path and they made great moves in their careers, but I mainly looked up to Joshua Obiesie”, stated Jonathan Zeisberger

Pic credit: Jan Pawliczek

The big German talent who lists Philipp Bode, Matija Milosevic, Nedzad MuratovicPeter Zeis, and Frederik Müller as his 5 best teammates of all-time is a player who saw the big name FC Bayern Munich as surely tempting to play for, but it simply never happened. “FC Bayern was the big rival, of course, but I never thought about playing for them. There was a contact, and at times it wasn’t easy with IBAM and the coaches, but I‘m really happy I stayed with my team and stayed loyal to IBAM”, smiled Jonathan Zeisberger He made big strides in the last 2 years averaging 29 minutes and averaging 13ppg and 18ppg as his game developed very nicely. “I would say my game improved a lot. Getting a lot of minutes in the NBBL at IBAM helped me build confidence, and I always had my own team around to support me. I also spent many hours in the gym over the past two years to get better”, said Jonathan Zeisberger Of course he will never forget his special and challenging battles against Munich in the NBBL and even beat them 89-85 in his first try. “Beating Bayern was an amazing feeling. After long preparation time for the new season you want to know where you are as an individual and the team. That was a great start”, added Jonathan Zeisberger He then did the trick beating them again as they had Marco Volf and Dominik Dolic and had a stronger roster. He had more of a role in the win. “Our team was also stronger, the plays worked better and for me as the playmaker the systems were better to handle. I celebrate my own points, but there is nothing better than well studied and executed plays with the team. Winning against them again, with Marco Volf and Dominik Dolic on a stronger roster, was amazing. I played a bigger role in the team this time, so it felt really good to help make that win happen”, smiled Jonathan Zeisberger In the playoffs Ibam was swept by FC Bayern Munich and this was the first time in the NBBL that he battled Ivan Kharchenkov. He had 24 and 35 points and Zeisberger had 18 and 22 points. They were the 2 best players on the court. “Playing against Ivan Kharchenkov is really cool because he‘s such a great player. I‘ve actually known him for a long time – we played against each other back in U12, when he was at Landsberg and I was at Olching, and we also often faced each other in the school team games. But I don‘t try to copy his game or measure myself against him; I just focus on playing my own game”, stressed Jonathan Zeisberger Last season in the NBBL he lost to Ulm in the playoffs. Ibam always had good teams the last 2 years but couldn´t get to the Top 4. What was missing from making that next step? “We faced a few injuries during the end of the season, and Bayern and Ulm were some of the best teams, so they were really tough to beat. That made it challenging for us to reach the top four”, remembered Jonathan Zeisberger He also played for Regionalliga 1 team MTV Schwabing. This was also something that was vital in his development being able to play with men instead of only boys. “Playing for MTSV Schwabing in Regionalliga 1 was a really valuable experience because I got to play against older and more experienced teams. It helped me develop my game, face tougher competition, and learn a lot from my teammates and coaches”, expressed Jonathan Zeisberger Even if he never reached the NBBL Top 4, his time there was one that he ´ll never forget. “ My fondest moment with IBAM was definitely the NBA showcase tournament in Senegal. That experience was amazing – the competition, the atmosphere and being there with my teammates made it truly unforgettable”, said Jonathan Zeisberger

The German who lists Stephen Curry, James Harden, Lebron James and Nikola Jokic on his NBA Mount Rushmore and Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Dirk Nowitzki and Isaac Bonga on his German Mount Rushmore found a new challenge this season as he is playing for Pro B team TSV Tropics Oberaching. Was it a tough decision coming to Oberaching? “This decision wasn’t as easy as it looks like now. I was talking to a couple of other great teams about minutes and being their supportive point guard. It also involved the decision to leave home for a uncertain game plan. In the end I choose Oberhaching because playing time is the most important thing for me. I didn‘t want to sit on the bench – I want to play. I had a really good conversations with Mario Matic and everything just felt right”, said Jonathan Zeisberger The club is grinding hard battling for a playoff place despite having lost key veterans Omari Knox and Janosch Koegler. “Of course, it‘s unfortunate that Omari Knox isn‘t playing with us anymore, but Koegler is back in the roster. The strong team chemistry is definitely one big reason why we‘re doing so well. We focus on playing easy basketball, and we mostly play with the same group of players with very little rotation”, commented Jonathan Zeisberger He needed no adjustment period to the Pro B as he is currently has 24/2/5/1 stats. His impressive play sure makes his decision to join the Tropics brilliant. “Joining Oberhaching was the best decision. I‘ve never had so much fun playing basketball, and everyone there is really, really cool. I have the best teammates around me. Even so it’s not a big team, I can develop and strengthen my game with them. I have taken my confidence over to the new season in Pro B, because I was used to the same role at IBAM. At Oberhaching, I immediately got the trust of Mario Matic, and I‘m very grateful for that. I basically have the same role as I had before, and I love to guide the team and take responsibility in tight situations”, stressed Jonathan Zeisberger I also don´t remember seeing a German guard dominate the Pro B as much as he has as he has had 8 games with 30 or more point games including 34 points against Coburg and Speyer. It seems like I checking the box scores every weekend to see if he scored 30 + points again. He is also averaging the most assists in his career. Did he always know that he had that playmaker in him? “I‘ve always known that I have good court vision and can play good passes. Now at Oberhaching, I just have the teammates who can really score with these assists, which makes a big difference”, stated Jonathan Zeisberger He also has been blessed to have the ultimate freedom from head coach Mario Matic to allow him to perform the way he has. “Mario Matic is definitely one big factor in why I‘m playing so well right now. He gives me a lot of trust, and that really helps me perform on the court”, said Jonathan Zeisberger

pic credit: Jan Pawliczek

The 19 year old 185cm guard who lists Lebron James as his GOAT is a player that has garnered quite a lot of comparisons to Euroleague players like Shane Larkin who has left the tongue of Mario Matic on occasion. “It‘s actually true, because Shane Larkin is also one of my favorite players, and I think our games are quite similar. I also really like Mike James and Matthew Strazel and the way the play. In the end I want to develop my own style and my own game to take speed and execution to the next level”, said Jonathan Zeisberger He loves basketball and received a special nickname with the Tropics with the refrigerator. “It‘s really funny. I got the nickname refrigerator at Oberhaching because the only thing I do is basketball. I train in the morning and the evening and between the sessions they see me in the refrigerator to wait for the next session. Philipp Bode called me that because all I do is train and wait for the next session”, laughed Jonathan Zeisberger When looking at his explosive stats, one sees him first as that great offensive player. His biggest strengths are attacking the basket, his mid-range shot, and finding passes to his teammates, but he also has demonstrated zeal and skills as a defensive player. “ I think my defense is actually good. I can stay in front of my man and make it hard for him to score, but in the future, I want to become an even better defender”, warned Jonathan Zeisberger He knows that in order to make that next step as a player, he will have to continue to grind in the gym. “Right now, I‘m focusing a lot on my shooting to make it even more consistent. I want to become quicker in the decision making process with the ball, take shots more easily, fake plays and make it harder to defend me”, stressed Jonathan Zeisberger It will be interesting to see where his journey will go next season. I personally would like to see him remain in Germany. Germany simply needs some really good German players stay at home. Enough German prospects have developed great here and continued to go their ways. Jonathan Zeisberger will definitely go down the right path no matter what he picks.