NAfter the first TV interviews were completed, Franz Wagner took a moment to breathe deeply. The international squatted slightly in the mixed zone, briefly put his hands on his knees and let the bronze medal slide through his hands. Then he let the reporters share his feelings of victory again.
“That’s really cool. I think it’s nice that we were rewarded for a great six or seven weeks. It was really fun,” said Wagner after the 82:69 (36:23) against Poland, which secured the German basketball team their first European Championship medal in 17 years. At the same time, Dennis Schröder delighted young basketball fans inside the arena with autographs, photos and some of his game equipment.
Then the German captain answered questions. “Nobody would have thought that. Nobody would have thought what we delivered there,” the 29-year-old repeated again and again after his greatest success in the national jersey. Then he announced a fine gesture. “He’s the real captain. Actually, he should get this medal,” said Schröder, referring to Robin Benzing. “I’ll probably give him mine.”
“Like my children”
Benzing, who was a German captain for many years, was retired by national coach Gordon Herbert before the tournament. “I’m very, very proud of the boys. They have all grown and matured. Like my children, I’m very proud of them,” he said after watching the game from a seat on the sidelines. The German victory was a conciliatory conclusion on many levels, but not everything shone like precious metal.
Hero of the game: Johannes Voigtman. When the German team threatened to lose the medal in the final quarter, the center ran hot from the line of three. The Olimpia Milano professional defended the narrow lead for several minutes on his own, collecting 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Voigtmann was voted player of the game by the world association. Schröder did the rest and ended up with 26 points.
Actually center, but also strong against Poland from the three-way line: Johannes Voigtmann
What: AFP
German future: This European Championship was a Wagner festival for many minutes. The 21-year-old Orlando Magic pro only scored eight points against Poland, but he averaged 15.2 points throughout the tournament. Whether deep threes, powerful dunks, tricky dribbles or an aggressive defense: Wagner delivered. “As a player, he’s better than I thought. He can reach the status of Dirk Nowitzki. He even has a killer instinct that Dirk probably didn’t have at that age,” national coach Herbert ennobled the young star to “Bild am Sonntag”.
The future of German basketball: Franz Wagner
What: AFP
Wagner has proven that the future of German basketball belongs to him. He has the necessary self-confidence for it. “The sky is the limit,” emphasized Wagner with a view to the 2023 World Cup.
Lousy scenery: Of all things, the fewest spectators came to the game in which Germany was about a medal; According to official figures, there were around 12,900. To watch both games of the final day from behind the basket, fans had to pay 270 euros.
A pricing structure that left many gaps in the grandstands of the Berlin Arena. The world association was nevertheless able to celebrate a record attendance. “This EM is the event with the best-selling tickets in EM history. Switching to four countries was worth it,” explained Turgay Demirel, Fiba Europe President. The TV ratings were also “outstanding”. In the semifinals against Spain, 3.8 million viewers tuned in at RTL.
What remains: The German basketball players proved at the home European Championship that they can keep up with the European top. However, there is not much time to celebrate. The players are leaving again on Monday, after all the Bundesliga season starts in just under two weeks.
The association is satisfied. “In Germany there is one rule: number one, football. Number two, soccer. Number three, soccer. Number four, soccer. I’m not going to continue that now,” Ingo Weiss said at the final EM press conference. “But this event went very well, the German team performed well. At this moment we are in a better position than we were four weeks ago,” said the President of the German Basketball Federation. Andreas Obst saw it similarly: “We were hoping for a little more, but I think we can be super satisfied and super proud.”
Boss Herbert was also caught up in such an emotional mixture: “It’s one of the most special moments in my life,” said the trainer. “Having children is number one, but it’s extremely special.”
