If the Skyliners Pro B team aren’t on the road, the majority of their home games are always played on Saturday nights in Frankfurt. Even If I have seen many Pro B games in Frankfurt, there are some that I don´t forget. It was December 2024 as the Skyliners Juniors battled VR-Bank Wurzburg Baskets Akademie and met them as they had just recovered from their horrible 6 game losing streak to start the season. Wurzburg rolled into Frankfurt and won their third game in a row 89-80. What really stood out was the amazing display that young German Hannes Steinbach (211-F/C-2006) and Calvin Wishart put on as they combined for 49 points as the German registered a 28/12 game and Wishart added 21 points in the trouncing. After the big Wurzburg victory, I was on the loose searching for the perfect quotes for my post game article. I rapped with Calvin Wishart who hails from Minnesota and it is always nice when people from that neck of the woods have some positive words about my home town team Boston Celtics. I asked him if he could describe the dominance between Steinbach and him and he shot out the quote that gave me a smile. ““Steinbach and I play well together. He can do it all. My dad always say Bill Russell and Bob Cousy with me being Cousy”, smiled Calvin Wishart. They played together for a season in the Pro B and practiced together in the easyCredit BBL where Wishart also played 5 BBL games and there was one where both guys scored in double figures with Steinbach with 16/13 and Wishart producing 11 points in a 112-102 loss to the EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Last season Wishart had a superb season in the Pro A with the EPG Baskets Kobnlenz averaging 14.9ppg, 3.6rpg, 5.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 56.4%, 3PT: 40.5%, FT: 81.2% while Steinbach played at Washington (NCAA) averaging 18.5ppg, 11.8rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 34.0%, FT: 75.9%. Both guys continue to make steps in their careers as Calvin Wishart will return to Wurzburg to play BBL while Steinbach has landed in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets.

The Minnesota native Wishart who set countless school records at Delano High School and then went on to play 100+ NCAA games at Georgia Southern and at the University of Santa Barbara. He then landed overseas and as a rookie balled with CD Povoa (Portugal-Liga Betclic) averaging 13.6ppg, 3.9rpg, 4.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.1%, 3PT: 32.6%, FT: 71.7%. He came to Wurzburg in late summer 2024 and played his second pro season with VR Bank Wuerzburg Baskets Akademie (Germany-ProB) tearing up the league averaging 20.7), 4.9rpg, APG-2 (7.4), SPG-1 (2.8), FGP: 58.3%, 3PT: 29.5%, FT: 75.2%. He became teammates with Hannes Steinbach and won´t forget his first meeting with Steinbach and seeing his game Live for the first time. “He was really nice when I met him. But I didn´t really know what kind of guy he would be after that first meeting. On the court I noticed right away that he could do everything. Dribble, pass, shoot and defend. He already had a real good touch and good hands. He may even have had the best hands that I have ever played with. He could catch everything”, remembered Calvin Wishart. There were so many great games that both had that Pro B season. Did it sometimes seem like the German big man was a man playing among boys. “Yes it did. It was so much fun playing with him. He is one of the best bigs that I have ever played with”, warned Calvin Wishart. The German developed really well in Wishart´s season in Wurzburg and he saw at close hand how much better he was getting. “He was already a modern day big man. There was nothing he couldn´t do. His passing and defense was superb. He was already strong, but he has gotten stronger the last years and will continue to do so. He will turn into a grown man”, stressed Calvin Wishart.

The German big man who has been compared to German world Champion Johannes Voigtmann had a very good support system In Wurzburg with head coach Alex King and his dad Burkhart who was always by his side on the Pro B bench. He most likely wouldn´t have gotten this far without their unending support. “I remember Hannes having a really good relationship with Alex King. They have been working together for a long time. His dad Burkhart was always honest with Hannes. There was absolute no special treatment from his dad”, remembered Calvin Wishart. Going to the NCAA and not remaining in Europe was also key for the German as there he got that last preparation needed for the NBA: “It is really important that he got a year in the NCAA. There he was able to solidify his standing in the NBA and he saw how effective he could be”, stated Calvin Wishart. The German now will begin a new chapter in his basketball life in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets having been drafted in the first round and will have another German as teammate with ex Texas tech guard Christian Anderson. “I´m really proud of Hannes that he got drafted. I´m not sure how he will fit in, but I believe that he will come in and develop super fast. He may be a type of role player to start, but I think that he will turn into a huge impact player”, warned Calvin Wishart. Both had so many incredible plays on the court together, but could the American pick one? “I don´t remember against who it was. I remember having the ball and sending a lob down the court to Hannes. I got poked and could barely see out of the eye, but I just know that he finished”, smiled Calvin Wishart. The question is against who was it? Was it against Speyer? I bet David Pisic would know.