MANILA, Philippines – Germany are World Cup winners.
No, not that World Cup (FIFA). But the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
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In ascending to basketball’s summit, they defeated those two old great powers, the United States, 113-111, and Serbia, 83-77. Whether the two teams were incomplete or not even at their best is beside the point. After all, you get what you give.
When one mentions “Die Mannschaft” one can say, “Ah, that’s the football team.”
Today, forevermore, Germany’s national basketball team earned their stripes, their claim to the moniker, and their place in the basketball firmament. Their third place in EuroBasket is no fluke.
Quick. Sound the alarms. The Germans are not only good in football, but in basketball too. They went undefeated — 8-0 — in winning the FIBA World Cup!
In my honest opinion, this FIBA World Cup win will do for Germany what the 1998 FIFA World Cup title did for France. It will grow the sport and it will reflect the multi-racial team that is an effect of globalization.
In a time where nationalists are decrying immigration, can this stem the tide?
Isaac Bongo hails from the Congo. Though born in Berlin to a German mother, Maodo Lo’s father is Senegalese.
FIBA World Cup Most Valuable Player Dennis Schroder was born in Braunschweig to a German father and a Gambian mother.
David Kramer was born in Slovakia where his German father, Roman, was playing professional hoops. His mother is Slovakian.
Johannes Thiemann is a German-born player to a Cameroonian father and a German mother.
Furthermore, eight of the 12 players who won gold in Manila play professional basketball outside Germany. That means they are beginning to export basketball players.
The exposure abroad has obviously helped them reach this high level.
Brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner both played for former NBA star Juwan Howard in Michigan. That helped in their growth of the game and both are now in the NBA alongside Daniel Theis and Schroder.
The Germans are known for their efficiency and ability to build strong, durable, classy and sleek winners, whether it be their world famous automobiles, their economy or their football teams.
Their world champions — look at them — 51.1% field goal percentage, 79.1% accuracy from the free throw line, 38.1% accuracy from 3-point range, 22.5 assists per game, 8.1 steals per game, an efficiency rating of 112.5, fourth best in the tournament, and 18.5 fouls per game (eighth fewest in this competition) against 10.5 turnovers (fourth lowest in the tournament).
If that isn’t efficient, then I don’t know what is.
In a year where their national basketball icon, Dirk Nowitzki, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, they won it all. And they will be favorites for the Olympics that will be held in Paris in 2024.
You can only imagine what this will mean to the German people and how many more kids will be taking up the game. And you know what happens when the Germans put their minds to doing something.