Jakob Pöltl delivers statistics in the NBA that the league has not seen in 30 years and Shaquille O’Neal. Personal records tumble. Where else can this lead?
Austrian athletes who work in the distant USA do not have an easy time in this country. It is not uncommon for the games overseas to take place in the middle of the European night. And so it almost seems normal that the achievements of local athletes in the NBA (basketball), NHL (ice hockey) or NFL (football) are somewhat overlooked and not sufficiently valued.
Thomas Vanek, who was briefly the highest-paid ice hockey player in the world at the end of the 2000s, could already tell you a thing or two about this. Back then, the Styrian could have easily walked through Vienna’s city center without having to fulfill dozens of requests for autographs and photos (selfies were not yet in vogue back then).
At present, four Austrian exports – basketball player Jakob Pöltl (Toronto Raptors), ice hockey cracks Marco Rossi (Minnesota Wild) and Marco Kasper (Detroit Red Wings) and football professional Bernhard Raimann (Indianapolis Colts) – are giving the major US sports leagues a red- white and red paint. The 29-year-old Pöltl is particularly standing out at the moment.
