By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Oscar da Silva is the first summer signing for FC Bayern Munich.
The Munich native signed a three-year contract, the team announced on Thursday.
Per the press release: “National player, Olympic candidate – and a true Munich native: Bayern’s basketball team can announce their first signing for the new season, Oscar da Silva. The 25-year-old forward is transferring to the German double winners after two years with FC Barcelona and has signed a three-year contract until 2027.
Da Silva, who is currently preparing for the Olympic Games with the extended squad of the world champions, said on Thursday at the Munich DBB quarters, Leonardo Royal: “I am very happy to return home after seven years mostly abroad and to be closer to my social environment again. I think it is a privilege to play in my hometown, and Bayern has built a very exciting project over the last few years. The SAP Garden looks first-class from the outside and is said to be stunning inside as well. I really hope the fanbase will enjoy the new venue as much as I will.”
Pesic: “We are delighted that it has now worked out.”
Oscar da Silva, after starting his professional career in Ludwigsburg and Berlin, was signed by Spanish EuroLeague heavyweight Barça in 2022 with a contract lasting until 2025. However, the agreement was recently terminated early following a turbulent season for the Catalans, making the 2.06-meter power forward available.
FCBB CEO director Marko Pesic: “We have been in contact with Oscar repeatedly in the past and know each other very well. The moment it became clear that we had a chance to get him, we immediately pursued him. The negotiations were very straightforward because we quickly realized that it was also Oscar’s desire to come to Munich. We are very pleased that it has now worked out, and we have a true Munich native with such high quality in our team.”
In the EuroLeague, the Stanford graduate has already made 97 appearances, averaging 5.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. Last season, the athletic big man started in 20 out of 37 games. Barcelona narrowly missed the Final Four against Olympiakos (2:3) in the playoffs, and in the Spanish ACB playoffs (7.8 PPG), they were stopped by arch-rival Real Madrid.
As a Teenager, a Season Ticket Holder at Bayern
Born and raised in Munich, da Silva initially played for DJK SB München and then until 2017 in Schwabing. “At twelve or thirteen,” he recounts, “I had a season ticket for the former Audi Dome and often went to the games with my mother and brother.”
In his final year in Schwabing, he was named NBBL Player of the Season. At the private Stanford University near San Francisco, the multilingual high school graduate from Munich studied biology and biochemistry, and in his final NCAA year with the Cardinal, he averaged 18.5 points and 6.7 rebounds.
From March 2021, da Silva finished the BBL season with Ludwigsburg; he was not selected in the NBA draft. However, the following year, he won the championship (11.3 PPG) and the cup with Berlin.
National Player Since 2023
As a player, da Silva sees himself “preferably at the four position, but I can also help out on the wing and at the five. I enjoy being able to fulfill different roles.” And what are his sporting goals for the new chapter in BMW Park and SAP Garden?
“At Bayern, the goal is always to win. This is not a club that aims just to participate, I know that. Last season, we achieved the double, and now the aim should be to achieve a double-double – even though I understand how difficult and long the journey to this goal can be. The team may look a bit different this year, but it will surely be characterized by high player quality once again.”
Da Silva wore the German jersey at the U16 European Championship in 2016 (9.5 PPG, 4th place), the U19 World Cup in 2017 (10.3 PPG), and during the first German victory at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in 2016, the unofficial U18 World Championship. He made his debut in the senior national team last year in the qualification for the 2025 European Championship. He is currently part of the preliminary 16-man squad of national coach Gordon Herbert for Paris 2024.
Oscar’s younger brother, Tristan, 23, was recently drafted by the Orlando Magic. His parents still live in Munich.”
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