As of: October 16, 2024 10:40 a.m
Basketball world champion Dennis Schröder has been playing in the North American professional league for more than ten years – and has never been to the NBA finals. That won’t change with the Brooklyn Nets this season, too many teams are better. But that doesn’t change the Braunschweiger’s demands.
Dennis Schröder doesn’t do it. “If you don’t go to the play-offs, then you’re not competitive in my eyes,” says the captain of the German national basketball team.
The new season in the NBA begins next week, for Schröder it is the twelfth, and even with a middle-class team like the Brooklyn Nets, the world champion only has this goal before the start. “No matter which team I was on, I always wanted to reach the play-offs and will give everything to achieve that,” emphasizes the 31-year-old.
Active for seven teams in the NBA
Nobody from the generation of current German professionals has Schröder’s NBA experience, and the number of teams is also unmatched. The Braunschweiger has already played for seven clubs: Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, the Lakers again, Toronto Raptors and, since February, for the Nets.
The many stations since his NBA debut in 2013 are valuable for the German’s network – but unlike the national team, the world champion has never managed to become the undisputed pillar of a team. “I always found ways in the NBA, no matter who I played with, no matter what the situation, to help the team in some way,” says the veteran. “It would be cool if you had something like that, but we also have a lot of good players here, a lot of young players and of course I know how it all works in the NBA.”
One of the leading players for the Nets
Schröder is one of the leaders of the Nets. Together with the polarizing newcomer Ben Simmons, who repeatedly struggles with both health and reputation problems, he is supposed to give the young professionals support and ensure that something can develop in Brooklyn.
“People forget that he was a three-time all-star and always talk very quickly. That’s really sad to see. I’m happy that I can be here with him and I think we’ll win a lot of games together,” he says family man.
No financial worries about the future
Schröder feels comfortable with the Nets and would like to stay for a long time. But: “You can just be traded.” It’s out of his hands. What does he say about the fact that Franz Wagner, a younger German colleague, signed a gigantic contract for five years and $224 million in the summer?
“It’s a different time. I remember when I came into the league, I wanted to sign for 30 million because Jeff Teague and Ty Lawson signed for that amount – and then I signed for 70 million,” says Schroeder. “Now I’m the older one. We all earn very, very well and I don’t have to worry about the future anymore. I’ll never say, ‘hey, why does he get this and I get that?'”
In a week’s time at the start at the former club
Schröder was there to cheer on last season when the Berliner and his brother Moritz Wagner played in the play-offs for the first time with the Orlando Magic. The Braunschweiger knows the atmosphere and the special features of the hot phase of the season. That’s another reason why he wants to go there again. The Nets’ season begins on October 23rd with an away game at the Atlanta Hawks. Schröder knows his way around there too.
