Luis Da Silva Jr., a renowned American entertainment industry professional from Elizabeth, New Jersey, was raised in a loving yet humble environment that fostered his passion for sports and competition from an early age. As a child, he was an exceptional baseball player, but it wasn't until he was eleven years old that his enthusiasm for basketball began to grow. His impressive ball-handling skills and overall ability on the court further solidified his love for the game.
At the age of eighteen, Luis's life took a dramatic turn when he walked into an open audition for a Nike basketball commercial and was immediately recognized for his exceptional talent. This led to him being signed to a contract and becoming the focal point of the iconic 'Nike Freestyle' campaign, which has since been hailed as one of the top-10 ad campaigns of all time. Not only did this campaign generate significant revenue for Nike, but it also inspired a movement among those who were touched by it, earning Luis the distinction of becoming the youngest non-professional athlete ever to receive a Nike endorsement.
This success enabled Luis to achieve numerous personal goals, including appearing on the cover of Time magazine, setting a Guinness World Record, making the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and featuring in several popular video games. His commercial success was also portrayed in Scary Movie 2 in 2001, where his commercial was reenacted for comedic effect.
Luis was the centerpiece of Nike's success in 2001, introducing the Nike basketball domain and his 'Freestyle campaign', in which he was the only athlete with a solo commercial at the age of eighteen. He became the youngest athlete to date that Nike has ever signed to a contract moment deal, and his success played a significant role in introducing basketball to Asia. The advertisement has continued to be cited and used as inspiration for the hip-hop and feature film industries, even 22 years later.
Known as the pioneer of freestyle basketball, Luis is often referred to as the Michael Jordan of his profession, quoted by Patrick Cassidy for Dime magazine. He is also recognized as one of the greatest basketball dribblers in the world.
Using his newfound fame, Luis turned his attention to Hollywood, discovering his second calling in life - acting. He quickly landed roles alongside Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, and Neil Jordan in 'The Brave One' in 2007. His performance led to multiple projects over the next few years, including landing the role of Diogo in the fifth installment of 'The Fast & The Furious' franchise, 'Fast Five', in 2011 and 2012.
Since then, Luis has appeared in films alongside several of Hollywood's elite, including Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson, Ruby Rose, Casey Affleck, Arron Paul, and John Travolta. With his no-nonsense approach and work ethic, which is a result of his training as a top-tier professional athlete, Luis continues to develop, learn, and excite the industry.
Looking ahead, Luis has an exciting year on the horizon, starring alongside Colson Baker (MGK),Kevin Bacon, and Travis Fimmel in Andrew Baird's 'One Way', and reprising his fan-favorite character of Diogo in the tenth entry of the 'Fast & Furious' series, 'Fast X', alongside Universal and Vin Diesel.
