Status: 08/14/2023 09:40 a.m
Dennis Schröder has been the leader of the German national team for several years. But the man from Braunschweig used to be just the best German basketball player, he showed more leadership qualities at the Supercup in Hamburg before the World Cup. It also helps the NBA professional that all the responsibility no longer rests on his shoulders.
Dennis Schröder has often oscillated between darling and bogeyman in his career. But the negative headlines should finally be a thing of the past. It’s only been a month since the NBA pro, who is playing for the Toronto Raptors next season, caused a stir. And not in a positive way. He publicly criticized his national team colleague Maxi Kleber sharply. In turn, he then canceled his participation in the World Cup (August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines).
So Schröder as a troublemaker again? The World Cup preparations were jeopardized by debates and skirmishes off the court. Schröder apologized, but Kleber stuck to his waiver. The mediation attempts of the German Basketball Federation seemed half-hearted. The association’s strategy seemed to be to side with Schröder and get the matter over with as quickly as possible. Probably also in the knowledge that the national team needs a Schröder in top form more than a Maxi Kleber.
Association and national coach stand behind the captain
The association, national coach Gordon Herbert and former teammates are behind Schröder. For example, the longtime national team captain Robin Benzing. He explicitly backed the 29-year-old at the start of the preparations: “He’s matured even more. I played with him in the national team when he was still a rookie. Every player has to learn a lot and gain experience. He’s matured, he leads the team incredibly.”
But the public criticism of a national team colleague, one of the best German players at the moment? “Of course it was a bit unfortunate. Just like Dennis is: He always says directly what’s going on,” said Benzing. Schröder himself does not comment on the dispute anymore, just like the national coach. Questions about this will not be answered.
Schröder is close to the people – and is celebrated
The theater seems to leave the fans cold. After the clear 87:68 victory in the first World Cup preparation game in Bonn against Sweden, Schröder was celebrated like a pop star and had to sign hundreds of autographs. And it did. The cheering in the halls is greatest when he scores. The queue of autograph hunters is the longest with him. The otherwise sometimes unapproachable Schröder is currently close to the people, also at the Supercup in Hamburg. Even after the 112:113 defeat in the final after extra time against Canada on Sunday, the German playmaker took a lot of time for the fans.
They give him credit for serving the national team summer after summer. While other highly paid professionals who, like him, earn their money in the North American NBA, want to use the summer months to regenerate or improve their own game, it is important to the Braunschweig native to play for his country. He emphasizes this again and again.
“It’s an honor for me to see the fans here in the halls. That’s why I’m there every summer.”
Dennis Schroeder
And he wants to present himself to the fans in his home country. He noticeably enjoys the enthusiasm for his person: “When I play in America, the fans in Germany can’t see me because it’s 3 or 4 a.m. When you’re here in the halls, you see the fans in Hamburg or also before that in Berlin or Bonn, that’s a great honor for me. That’s why I’m at the start every summer,” Schröder told NDR in Hamburg.
The NBA professional sets a good example and shows full commitment with the national team. And expects the same from others; This is one of the reasons for the criticism of Kleber, who canceled the European Championship in his own country last year.
Schröder’s playing is good for Franz Wagner
But the German captain has now also learned to hand over responsibility. And can live with the fact that there are other stars besides him. It was different a few years ago. At the 2019 World Cup, for example, he often wanted too much. Believed to have to – and be able to – arrange a lot of things on his own. He did not harmonize with his teammates, the team, which was already highly talented at the time, was eliminated in the preliminary round.
These phases still flash up now, especially when things aren’t going that way in the game. But in the meantime he has a fellow player on an equal footing in the young Franz Wagner. It’s not only good for the national team, but also for Schröder’s game. Because the captain doesn’t shy away from putting the spotlight on the 21-year-old super talent from the Orlando Magic – and serving him on the floor.
“Without him we wouldn’t have been able to win the bronze medal at the European Championships at home,” said Schröder about the younger of the two Wagner brothers. “He brings something to the team that we’ve never had before. He has everything. He’s going to be a huge player, both here with the national team and in the NBA. And I’m happy that we have him here.”
Schröder and Wagner as “two-headed monsters”
Big words, which one also believes in Schröder. Because he lets action follow on the floor. As a playmaker, he always puts his teammates in the limelight and, in contrast to previous years, seems more altruistic. A game like the one in the Supercup against China, when the Germans humiliated the opponent with 107:58, would certainly have been a Schröder show in the past. Not this time. Together with Wagner he led the team. National coach Herbert recently described both as “two-headed monsters”.
Schroeder is irreplaceable
In the Supercup final against Canada, it became clear once again how dependent the team still is on Schröder. When he was benched shortly before the end after his fifth personal foul and the team had to do without him, the team gambled away the lead and lost. Before that, however, he had once again harmonized with his teammates in the game – including with Wagner. This team game, this division of tasks is good for Schröder – and he allows it. This shows that he has matured. But he still has to prove whether he will also leave the negative headlines behind in the future.
2023-08-14 07:40:00
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