Luis Fernando Da Silva Jr. (born August 3, 1982), also known as Trikz, is an American actor, basketball player, author, and producer. He gained fame after headlining the 2001 Nike Freestyle ad campaign.[1]
Basketball career
In a 2001 episode of This American Life,[2] Da Silva was the first streetball athlete to be signed to an advertising contract by Nike.[1] He performed with Alicia Keys in 2001 in New York City's Niketown while promoting the well known Nike campaign. He was subsequently mentioned in Scoop Jackson’s main division, titled Sole Provider, which recognized the best of Nike’s 35-year chronicle.[3] In 2003, Da Silva was the youngest player signed to the Harlem Wizards Show basketball team.[4]
In 2006, Stephon Marbury and Steve & Barry's announced that Da Silva would hit the road on the Starbury SLAM Tour, with the first of many appearances at Steve & Barry's stores and schools across 120 cities in 60 days to perform his unique style of hip hop themed basketball wizardry in front of kids and parents. Andy Todd, president of Steve & Barry's, said "Trikz is not only a phenomenal performer; he's also a phenomenal guy who kids will enjoy seeing and hearing."[6]
In August 2007, Da Silva fulfilled a childhood dream when he was invited to participate in a Harlem Globetrotters mini-camp in Houston, TX and two days into the camp was offered a contract to join the legendary team.[7]
In October 2008, the Maryland Nighthawks announced that they selected Da Silva with the 14th overall pick as part of their official "Travel team" of the PBL this year, and are set to tour China and other Asian countries during the season.[8]
In 2009, Da Silva achieved a personal goal of setting a Guinness World Record of 24 consecutive neck catches of a basketball.[9] In 2009, Da Silva became the youngest person ever inducted into the City of Elizabeth Athletic Hall of Fame.[5]
Da Silva performed during the 2010 World Basketball Festival in New York City, while the Jay-Z performance took place in the Radio City Music Hall, all presented by Nike.[10]
He has produced and directed an instructional DVD entitled Freestyle 101, which has been created into an Apple application available on iTunes and Apple store.[11] This DVD is a streetball tutorial that is devoted to inspiring children, adolescents and adults to use basketball in a creative and challenging way of physical fitness.
In 2011, Da Silva played Diogo in Fast Five, a role he reprised in 2023's Fast X. He also appeared in the 2012 comedy 21 Jump Street, gaining increasing exposure. With the release of 2013's Dead Man Down, he had his biggest role yet, as Terrence Howard's righthand man, Terry.[12] This was followed up by a role in the 2013 summer hit The Heat featuring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.
