Da Silva: It’s very special to have had a long exchange with the Wagner brothers.

The group stage of the 2025 Men's Basketball European Cup has been fully concluded. Tristan da Silva averaged 10.4 points per game, helping the German team advance to the knockout stage as the top spot in Group B. He was interviewed by Eurohoops before playing against Portugal in the round of 16.

Talking about representing the German men's basketball team for the first time and being able to play side by side with his younger brother Oscar Da Silva, Tristan Da Silva said: "This experience is great. Among these teammates, many of them have grown up watching them play since I was a child. Now it feels wonderful to be a teammate with them. When I first participated in training and the first meeting, everyone warmly accepted me. Everyone was easy-going and cool. It was easy to play with them and they were having fun. It was really exciting to be a member of this team."

"This also makes me humble, and it's really fun to be involved. Let go of personal gains and losses and fight for the interests of the team. You will understand how much effort it takes to get to this point, and I will sincerely admire the achievements of these teammates: they brought German basketball to the height they are today, and we have to continue to push it to a higher level."

In addition to my younger brother, Tristan's connection with the German national team also includes teammates of the Orlando Magic Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, but the latter missed the European Cup due to injury.

"We talked a lot about the national team: for them, what it means to play for the country, how happy it is to play here; everyone comes here out of pure love and to gather together for national honor. It is really special to be one of them." The German team's group stage in Finland not only lacked the head coach Monblo, who was previously hospitalized, but Vogtmann was also absent due to injury. Speaking of the impact of these unexpected situations on the team, Da Silva said: "We have a lot of motivation to move forward. Everyone may have different intentions in playing, but our playing style on the court reflects this cohesion well."

When playing against Portugal, Celtics' NBA player Keita was considered the biggest threat to the German team. When asked whether the 26-year-old center will perform differently compared to the NBA, Da Silva analyzed: "There is no doubt that when fighting for the country, everyone has a sense of national pride, so they will be more excited and motivated. Moreover, the rules of the FIBA ​​are slightly different. His presence in the penalty area may be stronger, and he can stay in the penalty area for a longer period of time, completing rebounding and tip-offs. We have watched some pre-match videos, and this game will definitely be very exciting."