A Spaniard is the successor to the world champion coach. The real work begins now. He is counting on continuity among the basketball players.
The president of the German Basketball Association considers the relatively unknown new national coach Álex Mumbrú to be a coup. “Of course I spoke to many friends in Spain who said: If you get him, he’ll be an excellent man,” said Ingo Weiss at the presentation of the successor to world champion coach Gordon Herbert. “At the end of the day, that gave us a little confirmation.”
An agreement had already been reached with Mumbrú before the Olympics. The 45-year-old Spaniard is to further establish the team among the world’s best. “I am looking forward to continuing the great work that has been done with the national team in recent years. I am ready to take on this challenge,” said Mumbrú.
Many details still open
Mumbrú appeared elegant in a black suit and gave his friendly answers in English. Many details about his plans and his working methods will only become clear in the next few months. He said he prefers a game with a focus on defense and quick counterattacks. But ultimately the coach must always focus on the players he has at his disposal. Mumbrú left it open whether he would demand a firm commitment for several years from the professionals like Herbert.
His predecessor’s shoes are big to fill. In the three years under Canadian Herbert, who will take over the German double winners FC Bayern Munich after the Summer Games, Dennis Schröder & Co. experienced an almost unbelievable high with the World Cup title last year, European Championship bronze in 2022 and fourth place at the Olympic Games in Paris.
“If the team is working, you shouldn’t change it,” said Mumbrú. “It’s very important to keep the team chemistry.” There hasn’t been time yet for talks with the players. They should now follow quickly. He also wants to define his staff more precisely in the coming weeks.
Contract with options for extension
The new national coach’s contract is initially set for two and a half years until the end of 2026. However, there is the possibility of an extension for the 2027 World Cup and then again for the 2028 Olympics. “We want to have a long-term agreement with our new coach so that we can build something,” said Weiss. Mumbrú does not have an exit clause. “If Real Madrid calls, I’ll answer, Álex,” joked Weiss.
Mumbrú must first convince the players of his philosophy and drive the change with an eye on the upcoming highlights. It remains to be seen who will play alongside captain Dennis Schröder in the coming years. It is conceivable that players such as Daniel Theis (32) and Niels Giffey (33) will end their careers in the national team.
Changes in the team possible
The core of the current team is around 30 years old, so they could be back in Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. It is quite possible that NBA professional Franz Wagner (22), for example, will take a break for the European Championships next summer and then rejoin the team later.
The DBB has enough players with great potential at its disposal. Maximilian Kleber (32) and Isaiah Hartenstein (26) from the NBA were not even there under Herbert. There are other interesting players in Oscar (25) and Tristan da Silva (23), Justus Hollatz (23) and Kevin Yebo (28).
For the first time, the new national coach will be in the spotlight in November during the European Championship qualification, where he will probably have to do without NBA professionals such as Schröder and the Wagner brothers as well as most of the EuroLeague players.
But this is not just the case in Germany, the entire situation in basketball has changed, said Weiss. “We don’t have a second team or a third team, but we now have a pool of 30 or 32 players,” said the association president. “And from this we have to see which players are available and which are the best that we need for the team at that moment.”
Great successes as a player
Mumbrú, who was under contract with Real Madrid for several years, was part of the golden Spanish generation as a professional. The 2.02 meter tall winger won World Cup and European Championship gold alongside Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol and won Olympic silver in 2008.
After retiring in 2018, the Catalan coached Bilbao Basket until 2022 and then moved to Euroleague club FC Valencia. After clearly missing the Euroleague playoffs last season, the 45-year-old was fired.
Source: Stern
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