Oscar da Silva decided to move back to his hometown for the upcoming season, signing a deal with Bayern Munich after two seasons with FC Barcelona. Da Silva will play basketball closer to his family, while he could have a bigger role under Germany’s head coach, Gordon Herbert, who was hired by the Bavarians this summer.
For now, da Silva is concentrating on helping Germany win an Olympic medal. However, tonight’s contest against Brazil will be a special one for the dynamic forward. The Bayern Munich big man knows that he could easily be playing under Acho Petrovic in this game.
Oscar da Silva will be wedged between two nations tonight, knowing that he was born in Munich to a Brazilian father and a German mother. His father immigrated to Germany during the 1990s and opened a Brazilian restaurant in Munich. Da Silva obtained his physical background from his father, who was a professional boxer, before immigrating to Germany.
In addition to da Silva playing basketball at the highest European level, his brother Tristan da Silva was a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selected by the Orlando Magic at No. 18. The German international played soccer for a few years before turning his sights on becoming a basketball player.
“I did play soccer for a few years when I was younger, but I quit that, and then he (his father) wanted me to not just sit around the house. He ended up taking me to a basketball practice when I must have been 8 or 9, I think, and fortunately, I stuck around,” da Silva noted in an interview with euroleague.net.
Oscar Da Silva has admitted that his ties to Germany are stronger as he grew up in Munich, but he continues to maintain his bonds with his Brazilian side.
“I think I feel a bit stronger ties to Germany, just because that’s home for me—I’ve never lived in Brazil. But, obviously, my father being from there means a great deal to me, and I’ve been to the country, and I have a lot of family there still, so I definitely embrace that side as well.”
Many players have entered the Olympic Tournament with dual nationalities this summer. The German team is just another example of the integration of people who have been born or relocated to different parts of the world. However, in da Silva’s situation, he feels that Munich and Germany are his true home.
“I think I feel I have a little bit stronger ties there.” Oscar da Silva admitted. “They’re a country that’s to be reckoned with in terms of basketball. It’s up and coming, and I think we celebrated a lot of the sport of basketball this summer. I think people got a lot more into it.”
Oscar da Silva hopes to see minutes after receiving DNP against Japan
The German team is set to face Brazil in Group B of the Olympic Tournament preliminary phase. With Gordon Herbert leading the team to first place in the Basketball World Cup last summer, the Germans are also a strong favorite to enjoy success in the Paris Olympics.
Oscar da Silva was the only German player to receive a DNP, but the fact that Brazil has a lot of bigmen available in its rotation might bring him against his father’s home country.In any case, Oscar da Silva will have an interesting night in Paris especially if he hits the Pierre Mauroy Stadium floor.
Germany will have the chance to secure knockout qualification, while Brazil will fight for a win to remain alive in the hunt for one of the two top spots in Group B.
