The Basketball World Championship will take place from August 25th to September 10th in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
After EM bronze in 2022, the German team wants to surprise again. SPORT BILD spoke to NBA professional Daniel Theis.
also read
SPORT BILD: Mr. Theis, are you more a racehorse or a fighting pig?
Daniel Theis (31/laughs): I’m exactly the mix in between. That is what distinguishes our team: We are all racehorses and fighting pigs in one. Everyone has individual technical qualities, but sacrifices themselves for the team without paying attention to personal statistics. That’s what Gordi (national basketball coach Gordon Herbert; ed.) asked of us at the last European Championship. His image with racehorses and fighting pigs originally comes from ice hockey. But it is also our motto for the World Cup. I’m 99 percent sure that our coach will come back to that before the first game.
Her fitness trainer Arne Greskowiak designed t-shirts with a horse’s body and a pig’s head, which each team member got. Are you taking yours to the World Cup?
No, but it has pride of place at my home in Boston, hanging on the wall there. It will always remind me of this fantastic home championship. Nobody thought us capable of bronze – except we ourselves.
What’s in it at the World Cup in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines?
Our goal is clearly a medal, which would also qualify us for the 2024 Olympics. I also think that’s realistic. At the European Championships a year ago, we showed that we don’t have to hide from anyone. With Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner, we have two go-to guys who are our best options on offense. But above all, we come through the team chemistry and the spirit.
She’s done it again World Cup heroine repeats her dream goal
Those: TUDN 17.08.2023
Schröder keeps causing a stir. Most recently he criticized Maxi Kleber because he was absent from the European Championship last year. Then he was the only one in the Rolls-Royce to come to practice while the other players rode in the bus. You are a childhood friend of his from the Braunschweig days. How does he really tick?
Dennis is a very direct and honest person. He always says what he thinks. He expects the same from his counterpart. The back is not his thing. I think that’s good. Dennis is also super ambitious and has the necessary self-confidence. It used to be like that when he was 16 or 17 years old. It doesn’t matter which established professional was standing in front of him – Dennis didn’t care and wanted to show him that he was better. Dennis wants to win and does everything for the team and success. He’s a real team player. That’s why this commitment from all of us to the national team was so important to him.
And the story with the Rolls-Royce?
That’s not true. Dennis rides with us on the bus to and from training as usual. But sometimes he wants to be in the hall an hour before training, and if, for once, the association’s bus isn’t available, he drives off in his car. Or his friend Joel, who makes videos for him, or his coach brings him. And whether he drives a Rolls-Royce or something else is up to him. Here in Germany, unfortunately, there is often a lot of envy involved. If you drive a nice car, you have to park two streets around the corner so nobody sees you get out. In America the mentality is different.
You have several tattoos. Does a World Cup medal add another?
If we get a medal, definitely. The European Championship medal and the Olympic qualification will then be found again. After the EM medal I waited extra, because maybe something else will come and the motif will be even more beautiful. So far I already have the “15” in the star for my first championship with Bamberg, the championship cup, the “10” as my jersey number and the Air Jordan 11, my favorite shoe.
You only played seven games last NBA season. First you had knee surgery, then in February the Indiana Pacers told you that you would not play again until the end of the season. How did you deal with it?
Times were hard for me. That’s where self-doubt comes in. I tried to find a good balance between private life and sport. Mental training also helped me. I started it on my birthday – April 4th – my wife gave it to me. My goal was “DT 2.0”. I wanted to create a new version of myself. So far this has worked quite well. I have a session once a week. I look ahead positively. Visualizations also help. I picture things in my mind’s eye. For example, before falling asleep, I imagine the perfect throwing motion. That helps me extremely.
Do you see the World Cup as a showcase for the coming NBA season?
Definitely. I want to show the Pacers that I’m 100% fit and able to play at the highest level. I haven’t played since mid-February. As a result, I gained nine kilos. But since the end of the season in April, I’ve been preparing for the World Cup and lost the nine kilos again – but without losing muscle mass. I have completely changed my diet. My wife is a nutritionist. I just ate what she put in front of me. Only Sunday was candy day. I like anything with waffles and chocolate, but it has to come straight from the fridge. Now I feel extremely fit and explosive. I can run and jump again, I feel great.
On the subject of enjoyment: Starting next season, cannabis will no longer be tested in the NBA. Do you think smoking weed is okay?
I generally think smoking weed in the evening after the game is okay. I estimate three quarters of all NBA players do it regularly now. Many have trouble switching off and falling asleep after games. They just want to come down. I don’t find that reprehensible. Alcohol has a much worse effect. And marijuana doesn’t increase performance. I don’t do that because luckily I can fall asleep easily and I don’t want to set a bad example for the children at home.
Cannabis is on the doping list at the World Cup…
Then the players it affects should be careful.
also read
You recently bought shares in the American football club Rhode Island. How did that happen?
I wanted to do something with football. I used to play myself and I’m still a fan. I actually wanted to buy shares in my favorite club, VfL Wolfsburg, but that wasn’t possible because VW wanted to remain the sole shareholder. There is also the 50+1 rule. So my choice fell on Rhode Island, which is close to Boston, where I played for a long time and where I have a house. I can very well imagine doing something behind the scenes there later. Marcel Schäfer (Wolfsburg manager; ed.) is a good friend of mine. After my active career, I would like to look over his shoulder for a few weeks during the transfer period and do an internship.
How big is your love for VfL Wolfsburg?
Very large. I used to be a regular fan in the VfL curve. Once I was even banned from the stadium.
Stadium ban?
Yes, when I was 14 I threw paper balls at Bayer Leverkusen substitutes and was expelled from the stadium as a result. Pretty unfair: the whole curve threw and only I was taken away. When I visit VfL now, this story keeps coming up and people ask me about it.
2023-08-17 19:28:00
#German #NBA #star #Daniel #Theis #thinks #weed #doping #list #World #Cup #Sports
