FOR new Orlando Magic star Tristan Da Silva, Draft Night wasn’t just about making it to the NBA.
It was also about how he did it, a journey that began in Munich, Germany, where he was born to German-Brazilian parents.
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Da Silva, 23, and his family proudly celebrated their roots at Barclays Center on Thursday night.
The 6-foot-1 forward’s loved ones wore traditional Bavarian attire, adding a taste of Oktoberfest to the event.
The former Colorado standout himself had the Bavarian flag and the region’s official symbols on the left side of the lining of his black and red suit – while the right side displayed the Brazilian flag.
Da Silva made a point of remembering where he came from as he followed his older brother Oscar – who played basketball at Stanford and is now with FC Barcelona in Spain – to America.
The rumored 18th overall pick told The US Sun that he is proud of “staying the same person throughout the entire process” as he looked back on his journey.
“I’m going to keep doing this,” he said less than an hour before the draft began.
“I’m still very close to a lot of the friends I made growing up.
“I still pay a lot of homage to where I come from and who influenced me growing up. So that’s big.”
Da Silva had time to settle in the new country after spending four years with the Buffaloes.
He has also earned his place in the draft, emerging as a versatile forward who can make an impact in a variety of ways.
The forward averaged 15.9 points, 4.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 steals while shooting 39.5% from 3 in his final two seasons at Colorado, earning back-to-back All-American honors. -Pac-12.
But Da Silva still couldn’t believe he was about to be selected in the NBA draft — even though he was already on stage, posing for photos with his colleagues and commissioner Adam Silver.
“It’s still surreal. I still don’t understand,” he said.
“It’s kind of weird. I mean, I’m excited. I have my people here. I put a lot of work into this.
“To see it pay off is just huge.”
The preliminary process itself required a lot of effort, Da Silva admitted.
Seven pre-draft workouts followed by endless interviews and events in New York City took advantage of his tool.
And he felt that on Thursday morning – not that it hindered the striker’s great moment.
“I wanted to go back to sleep, I’m not going to lie. I’m kind of tired,” said Da Silva.
“But I woke up and thought… oh, yes, today is the day.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
