The German national player Isaac Bonga has to take on even more responsibility due to Franz Wagner’s injury at the Basketball World Cup. He benefits from learning from one of the greatest basketball players of all time
by Oliver Jensen
Isaac Bonga was brimming with confidence after Germany’s narrow win over Australia. “I think that’s a confidence boost. The only ones who can beat us are ourselves. We’ll go into the next games with that kind of confidence,” he says in the “Sportschau”.
Due to Franz Wagner’s injury, who could also miss the game against Finland (Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. in the live ticker on ran.de), Bonga is now playing a bigger role. In the second group game against Australia, Bonga joined Dennis Schröder, Andreas Obst, Daniel Theis and Johannes Voigtmann in the starting five. The FC Bayern Munich player ultimately contributed nine points.
Even before the start of the World Cup, Bonga had made it clear that the German national team could achieve a lot. “I think the time when the German national team only wanted to play a bit at a World Cup is over. We are a nation that can now play at the top.” As an objective he named a medal.
At 23, Bonga already has a lot of experience. After playing for the Skyliners Frankfurt in the Basketball Bundesliga from 2016 to 2018, he was picked in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers in 39th position. There he was suddenly teammates with LeBron James, one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
“You can tell he’s on a whole different level mentally. But as a person, he’s a guy like everyone else. He’s a person you can have a lot of fun with,” Bonga recalls. “Of course you can learn a lot from him because he has a special mentality and a lot of routine. He has a certain routine that he really works through every day. I think that differentiates him a bit from other NBA players.”
One of Bonga’s biggest supporters is his brother Tarsis, who is a professional soccer player with TSV 1860 Munich. At the time, the striker observed with interest how the life of a professional soccer player differs from that of an NBA player.
the essentials in brief
“On the one hand, an NBA professional who doesn’t reach the playoffs with his team has a very long offseason of several months. During this time, every player is then asked to work on his own weaknesses. On the other hand, the NBA players have during the season such a tight schedule that you have practically no free time at all – much less than in football,” said Tarsis.
You can just tell he’s on a whole different level mentally. But as a person, he’s a guy like any other
Similar to Tarsis Bonga in football, Isaac Bonga has already changed clubs a few times. In the summer of 2019, the Lakers sold Bonga and other players, such as German international Moritz Wagner, to the Washington Wizards as part of an extensive trade and the signing of Anthony Davis.
“In the NBA, you can always be traded,” says Bonga. “After the season you don’t know if the team might do a trade and swap you for another player. That can happen at any time, sometimes even in the middle of the season. You have to be ready at any time to go to another city and to play for another team.”
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Bonga praises the basketball Bundesliga: “The level has improved”
In the summer of 2021 he went on to the Toronto Raptors, where he was unable to assert himself, so he returned to Germany a year later and has been playing for FC Bayern Munich ever since. Bonga played 143 regular season games for the Lakers, Wizards and Raptors, including 57 games as a starter.
Basetball-WM: Top 10 der Players to Watch
32 national teams are taking part in this year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. Although many NBA stars have canceled their participation, the player pool will still be full of talent. ran introduces you to ten players (from ten different teams) you should definitely keep an eye on – a mix of established NBA stars and breakout candidates. © Imago / Imago / Imago
Simone Fontecchio (Italien)
Fontecchio is the only NBA player on Italy’s roster and will be the focus of Italy’s offense. With an average of 19.4 points, small forward Italy led to the quarter-finals of the European Championship, where they were eliminated in overtime by finalists France.© NurPhoto
Rudy Gobert (France)
French center Rudy Gobert is the defensive powerhouse of the Basketball World Cup. The three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year has been instrumental in the recent success of the France national team, particularly through his defense and rebounding skills. After bronze in the last World Championships and silver at the 2020 Olympics, the big triumph should finally succeed.© PanoramiC
Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic)
For the first time since 2013, Towns will represent the Dominican Republic in an international tournament. In his eight-year NBA career, KAT averages 23.0 points and 11.2 rebounds – with this performance, the Dominicans can cause one or the other surprise. They even beat co-favourites Canada in preparation for the World Cup.© ZUMA Wire
Josh Giddey (Australia)
Josh Giddey is just 20 years old and is already one of the top players in Australia’s talented roster. The point guard will make his major tournament debut at the 2023 World Cup and wants to lead Australia to the first World Cup medal in its history. Giddey’s height (2.03m) and passing ability (6.2 assists per game last NBA season) make him one of the most dangerous playmakers in the World Cup. © AAP
Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbien)
Since NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has canceled his participation in the World Cup, all hopes of basketball in Serbia rest on Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Hawks guard is one of the best shooters in the tournament and was able to score more than 20 points per game in both the last European Championship and the last World Cup.© MN Press Photo
Lauri Markkanen (Finland)
Lauri Markkanen is big, fast, and has an incredibly diverse offensive arsenal that made him one of the best players in the league this past NBA season. With 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, the Jazz Power Forward was named “Most Improved Player of the Year”. Finland may have had a tough draw, but with Markkanen at their best, they too could make their mark.© All Over Press Finland
Franz Wagner (Germany)
“He can create, he can throw, he can defend, he can rebound. I’m not sure what he can’t do yet.” This is how DBB assistant coach Bielmeier describes Franz Wagner. The German basketball talent has undergone an impressive development in his first two years in the NBA. At international level, Wagner already caused a stir at the 2022 European Championship – now he will probably play an even more important role in the German national team.© Beautiful Sports
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kanada)
Canada is one of the favorites for the title and the OKC Thunder Star is one of the absolute top stars of this World Cup. The 25-year-old point guard is one of the best players in the NBA – he finished last season with an average of 31.4 points, 5.5 assists, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals. © Susanne Hübner
Anthony Edwards (USA)
Edwards has become the top performer of the tournament’s best roster during preparation for the World Cup. The athletic freak, just 22, is the leading offensive force of Team USA, who are looking to redeem the embarrassment they suffered at the last World Cup when they were knocked out by France in the quarterfinals with a gold medal.© ZUMA Wire
Luka Doncic (Slovenia)
He’s one of the NBA’s biggest superstars and arguably the best player in this World Cup – he averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game last NBA season. The Mavs star will make a big spectacle, even if Slovenia are underdogs for medal chances due to the thinness of the squad. But if there’s one player you can’t write off this World Cup, it’s Doncic© ZUMA Wire
The 2.03m tall athlete doesn’t seem entirely unhappy about being able to play in Germany again. “I would say that the level has improved in recent years,” he says. “When I was still playing in Frankfurt, before I went to America, it was mainly German players who played in the Bundesliga. There are now NBA players who are moving to the Bundesliga, so the league is at a very good level .”
This is now evident in the quality of the national team.
2023-08-28 13:44:50
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