On Sunday, the German national team made the qualification for the 2019 World Cup prematurely perfect with its eighth victory in its eighth game. Dennis Schröder then spoke with the DPA about the success, the sign against racism and his own performance.
In the 112:98 victory over Israel after extra time, Schröder again stood out with 30 points and 13 assists, his brainstorm in the Alley-Oop game on Maxi Kleber 0.4 seconds before the end brought the DBB team into overtime. Nevertheless, he will remember something he did wrong.
“That I missed two free throws, like at the European Championships (2015) in Berlin,” said Schröder, would be what he would tell his children about this game at some point. “But this time we won. The team supported me, said: Keep throwing. We’ve never had team chemistry like this before.”
Schröder, who turned 25 on Saturday, also talked about his own learning effect. “When I used to have games like this, I ate it in and put the game behind me. But I’ve grown older and better and more mature. I was talking to myself and carrying myself. That worked”, explained the Point Guard of the OKC Thunder.
With the victory, the DBB team already has the qualification for the World Cup in their pockets, now it’s only a matter of placing in the group. “It’s incredible,” said Schröder, who also said that the German team needn’t be afraid of anyone: “When we’re all together, we don’t need to be afraid of anything. All right, the US, of course. Otherwise we won’t have to hide from anyone,” says Schröder.
Before the game in Leipzig, the team had published a closed statement against racism. “To make such a statement – no one has ever done that before. Basti Doreth, our co-captain, suggested this and spoke to me,” Schröder said. “I thought it was great, especially here in Leipzig, that we present it in such a way that we make such a video. I think that was a good statement. I hope that makes a difference.”
For Schröder, the journey now continues almost directly to the USA. The training camp of his new team in OKC starts on September 25th. Schröder could face a lot of responsibility because he has to represent the injured superstar Russell Westbrook for the time being.