NBA star Dennis Schröder also wants to be there. But a comeback of the point guard seems unlikely. But it is not completely excluded.
When Dennis Schröder saw his teammates dance across the floor of the Spaladium Arena after the Olympic dream had come true, it was clear to the NBA star: he would like to be there in Tokyo. “If there is a possibility, then that would of course be great,” said Schröder after the 75:64 in the final of the qualifying tournament on Sunday evening in Split against Brazil, which cleared the way to Japan.
“I’m always available, but my situation is not that easy. But I hope that we can clarify that by then. My agent has to do his job now. The German national team has done its job, let’s see,” said Schröder, who supported the German team in all four games as a spectator in the hall, full of emotions. But a comeback of the 27-year-old point guard does not seem realistic. Schröder was not there in Split because the insurance question for the NBA professional could not be clarified in advance. Born in Braunschweig, he is currently without a contract, but hopes for a highly endowed contract in the three-digit million range from the beginning of August when the Free Agency begins in the USA. A sum that no insurance company wanted to insure, especially in times of pandemic. The association could have secured a sum of around ten million euros, but that was not enough for Schröder before the tournament in Split. For Tokyo he should now be ready to be there for this sum insured. And under the impression of the emotional images of Split, the NBA star obviously brooded. The heart says yes to Tokyo, the mind no because of the risk of injury. His agent and family are sure to have their say too.
And then national coach Henrik Rödl would also have to decide to delete a player from the successful Olympic split team for Schröder. “That Dennis was here is a great sign,” said Rödl immediately after the game. And without knowing what Schröder said, he added. “It is clear that these twelve who were here in Split deserve it and are there in Tokyo.”
With his well-intentioned words that arose out of emotion, Schröder got the association and Rödl into trouble. Instead of the almost sensational Olympic qualification, the first in 13 years, almost everyone talked only about Schröder on Monday.
His name was missing from the list published by the German Olympic Sports Confederation on Monday. The DOSB nominated the twelve players who were successful in Split. In the event that a player injured himself, Schröder could still move up in the course of a so-called late athlete replacement, once the insurance question had been resolved. According to association president Ingo Weiss, the German Basketball Federation only has to name the actual squad shortly before the start of the Olympic basketball tournament at the so-called technical meeting. “We will of course talk to Dennis and then see what is possible and what is not,” said Weiss.
The players who clapped Schroeder after the final victory and briefly posed in the dressing room for the winner’s photo didn’t care about that on Monday night. They threw themselves into a party night that, due to the corona rules still in force, only took place in the hotel, but was no less lively. Captain Robin Benzing and Co. danced exuberantly through the lobby, and a joint jump into the pool was a must. When the first part of the tour group made their way home to Munich early in the morning, not everyone had seen their hotel bed.
“That is really blatant and cannot be put into words,” said Johannes Voigtmann. At the moment of the greatest German basketball success since 2008, the center was not thinking of the pictures of star Dirk Nowitzki, who was crying with happiness at the time, but of September 10, 2016. At that time, Germany had lost to the basketball dwarf Denmark in the European Championship qualification . “And all of basketball Germany laughed at us,” said Voigtmann, looking back with tears in his eyes. “And now the Olympics, that makes up for everything.”
