In 2010 and 2019 things went very wrong, in 2014 you weren’t there at all: Germany’s basketball players are fighting their World Cup curse. The signs in Asia are better than they have been for a long time.
Apart from Luka Doncic, the big names aren’t there – and that’s exactly what might be a unique opportunity for German basketball players. While NBA top stars like Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo are cheering on their own racehorses or recovering from injuries, Dennis Schröder and Co. signaled early on: This World Cup counts for us!
“The commitment and commitment are absolutely outstanding. We have some people for whom it is an absolute honor,” said national coach Gordon Herbert of the German Press Agency before the start of the World Cup against Japan this Friday (2:10 p.m. / Magentasport).
Three-year plan until Paris 2024
The team around playmaker Schröder and huge talent Franz Wagner agreed on a three-year plan early on. The European Championships at home last year ended with bronze, now the World Cup will follow with venues in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines – in 2024 the same or a similar line-up should go to the Olympics in Paris.
“I used to watch it as a small child. The Olympic Games are a mega event, also to get to know other sports better. I think I’d be really up for it,” Franz Wagner told the trade magazine “Big”. The two best European teams buy the ticket for the summer games directly.
In the footsteps of Nowitzki
Germany has something to make up for at world championships. In 2010 the preliminary round was suspended with a defeat against Angola, in 2014 the team didn’t even qualify after a bad European Championship. Four years ago in China, then national coach Henrik Rödl coined the phrase: “We have the best team that Germany has ever had.”
Just a few days later, the World Cup was over for his team after the preliminary round after a defeat against the Dominican Republic. When Germany last played a knockout game at a World Cup, Franz Wagner, born in 2001, was in kindergarten.
Now, together with Schröder, Daniel Theis and his brother Moritz, he is the backbone of the team that is following in the footsteps of Dirk Nowitzki and Co. “In the end, the roles were clearly assigned by the coach. Each individual could carry the team. We have a lot of quality. What distinguishes us from many other teams is that everyone knows what they bring to play successfully,” said Schröder, who is assuming the role of boss more clearly than ever before.
Is the team chemistry right?
The 29-year-old captain will be a particular focus in the preliminary round in Okinawa after NBA professional Maxi Kleber canceled a World Cup start after Schröder’s criticism. Officially, the issue is settled, the team chemistry in the German camp seems to be right. But that can change quickly if things go wrong like in 2019. And the extremely tricky preliminary round with host Japan, co-favourite Australia and EM quarter-finalist Finland does not allow the team of head coach Herbert any missteps, especially since Slovenia and star player Doncic are already waiting in the intermediate round.
The line between the next preliminary round and a medal in Manila is narrower than ever. The tests against the two top favorites for the World Cup, Canada and the USA, recently proved how competitive the German team is. At 91:99 in Abu Dhabi, Schröder and Co. had the US team, peppered with NBA stars, on the brink of defeat.
Many stars skip the World Cup
“It gives us self-confidence for the next tasks,” said Herbert, who extended his contract before the tournament until the EM 2025. Ambitious like no other, the Canadian is aiming for a medal – it would be the second at the World Championships after bronze in 2002.
Not only the Serb Jokic or the Greek Antetokounmpo are missing, many NBA stars from the USA also skip the World Cup in the year before the Olympics. The Olympic champion, who was led by successful trainer Steve Kerr, will start the tournament as the top favorite despite numerous cancellations, but looks vulnerable like in 2019. At that time, the USA lost to the French in the quarter-finals, and Spain later won the title.
Nowitzki as World Cup ambassador
“I don’t think the team is unbeatable,” Nowitzki said of USA, for whom winger Anthony Edwards is set to play the role as a first option. The 45-year-old Nowitzki is engaged at the World Cup as an ambassador for the world association Fiba, he is initially on site in Manila.
There, on Friday (10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.), two games will take place in the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena in Bocaue. Actually, the entire final round from the quarter-finals should have taken place in the largest indoor arena in the world, but Fiba rescheduled at short notice for logistical reasons.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
