National basketball coach Gordon Herbert hopes young star Franz Wagner will be accepted for the European Championship.
“Franz was outstanding in his first NBA season. But he’s only 20 years old. The door is open, but players have to sacrifice time and sweat for the national team. That’s not always a matter of course,” Herbert said in an interview with “nd .The week”.
Wagner, who has not yet played a senior international, was voted into the All-Rookie First Team’s top five rookies after his first season in North America’s premier league for the Orlando Magic.
At the European Championships (September 1st to 18th), which will be held in Berlin and Cologne, among other places, he could appear alongside his older brother Moritz, as he did in Orlando.
“Maxi Kleber, Daniel Theis and Moritz Wagner still have questions about their contracts to be clarified. That’s why you never know exactly whether they can come. But they have agreed to the European Championship,” said Canadian Herbert.
Dennis Schröder is said to be available for the World Cup qualifiers in Estonia (June 30) and against Poland (July 3).
Isaiah Hartenstein (Los Angeles Clippers) will probably be missing from the German NBA professionals. “Isaiah told me that he wanted to recommend himself for a new contract in the NBA, so he probably won’t be available. But I prefer definite refusals to a maybe as an answer. In this respect, Dennis Schröder’s early commitment is like that important because many will follow her. I’m sure of that,” said Herbert.
