Berlin – Those responsible for sport at Alba Berlin would certainly have preferred to talk about the clear 101:63 win against Frankfurt on Tuesday evening. The dominant theme around the German champion, however, was a completely different one: the personality of Oscar da Silva. The center should actually have played with Ludwigsburg against Hamburg at the start of the season. But the native of Munich had forged another plan at short notice and communicated this to his coach in an unusual way. “I got a message today at 4:30 p.m. that Oscar was on his way to Berlin. This is the first time that a player sends me a message without negotiations or paperwork that he is on his way to another club, ”said John Patrick to the Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung.
Da Silva actually wants to join the NBA. After a summer in the USA, where he played in the Summer League and participated in several camps, he returned to Germany and did not make use of his release clause. At least not until last weekend and the idea of wanting to work at Alba Berlin. He was “offered to us by his advisor. We were told he was free. We also have no reason to doubt this statement, ”said Alba managing director Marco Baldi after the win against Frankfurt.
And of course Oscar da Silva also fits almost perfectly into the current requirement profile of Berliners. Since Johannes Thiemann, Christ Koumadje and Kresimir Nikic are still injured, Alba has an acute need for the center position and with the 23-year-old would not only be an alternative under the basket, but also on the score sheet because of his German nationality Can list credit side of German players. Da Silva, on the other hand, could not only play at the highest level with Berlin in the Euroleague, but also develop a similar sporting development as many other talented players have already taken in recent years. It could be a win-win situation if it weren’t for the contractual situation that has apparently not been fully clarified.
Since Silva’s manager Jan Rohdewald sees his client in the right, told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten that the exit clause meant that “there was no time limit for a change” and that Ludwigsburg would also receive a fixed transfer fee for a change. At Alba Berlin you hold back and wait. “This is a matter between Ludwigsburg and him that is now being clarified by the BBL. We agree with the player, but if he doesn’t get approval, it’s obsolete and we refrain from doing it, ”said Baldi.