Holger Geschwindner has identified a major weakness in German basketball. The 72-year-old also commented on the future of his protégé Dirk Nowitzki.
In an interview with FAZ, Geschlaufdner attested to the German basketball team a “huge trainer problem”. The Nowitzki explorer finds that there are far too few instructors in this country.
“They must be trained. Unfortunately, student basketball is as good as dead as a doornail. Basketball players who study nowhere, because the coaches assume that the players train so much, earn so much money that they don’t even have time to study. That’s silly stuff,”complained Speeder.
And he continues:”The people responsible must ensure that there are trainers who can teach the technology that will be of interest to young people in the future. That is the main problem. Changing the rules just at the desk doesn’t do much good.”
For a number of years now, at least six German players have to be in the squad of every Bundesliga club in the BBL. According to Geschwindner, this change “didn’t do much good”. In the decisive phases of the game, foreigners would still be on the field.
“This doesn’t help the development of German basketball at all and frightens many young people because they think that they have no chance upstairs,”said the former international.
Geschwindner also commented on the sporting future of Nowitzki. Does the 39-year-old still have a season ahead of him at the Dallas Mavericks, or will he end next summer?
“No decision has yet been made,”Geschwindner said:”As long as he enjoys it, let him play basketball. There is nothing worse than sitting on the sofa and gazing nostalgically at what the others are doing on the field. At this level you can’t skip and then make a comeback at the same level. The clock’s ticking, no one can stop it.”