German basketball team experiences rupture in series with the initial defeat in the first damper game - Disruption in German Basketball: Introduction of Initial Dampers for Athletes
The SAP Garden in Munich played host to a thrilling Euro Championship Supercup final between Germany and Serbia, with 11,579 spectators in attendance, including some passionate Serbian fans. However, the night didn't end as the hosts had hoped, as Serbia secured an 81:91 victory, marking Germany's first defeat of the summer.
In the game, NBA star Nikola Jokić, despite being double-teamed and attacked by changing defenders, had a subpar performance with only seven points. On the German side, captain Dennis Schröder scored 12 points, while Franz Wagner, another star player, managed 26 points. Johannes Thiemann also contributed with 11 points.
Despite the setback, Germany's basketball team remains strong and well-prepared for the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket 2025. The team has shown solid form in their warm-up games, winning the first three friendlies, including two against Slovenia and Türkiye, and also securing back-to-back wins over the reigning European champions Spain in exhibitions.
The team's roster for EuroBasket 2025 is confirmed, headed by key players Schröder and Wagner. The team is coached by Alex Mumbru, who is managing his first tournament with the squad. Germany will compete in Group B alongside Finland, Lithuania, Sweden, Montenegro, and Great Britain, with their tournament opener against Montenegro scheduled for August 27, 2025.
The team is coming off a highly successful phase in international basketball. They won the 2023 FIBA World Cup, defeating Serbia in the final. They earned a bronze medal at EuroBasket 2022. They finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although their loss to Serbia in the Supercup final shows there is competition at the highest level, Germany remains among the top-ranked basketball nations globally (currently third in FIBA World Ranking) and is well positioned as a contender in EuroBasket 2025, aiming to capitalize on their strong roster and recent international successes.
As the team prepares for the Euro Championship, coach Mumbru is still working on fielding a full-strength team, as centers Daniel Theis and Leon Kratzer, as well as injured three-point specialist David Kramer, were missing from the Supercup game. The team will play two test games against Euro champions Spain, one in Madrid on Thursday and the other in Cologne on Saturday, before the tournament begins on August 27 and ends on September 14.
Meanwhile, NBA star Franz Wagner continues to struggle with his shot, while teammate Tristan da Silva, an NBA teammate of Wagner, had a decent performance with 14 points. The Euro Championship puzzle for Germany's team is far from complete ten days before the tournament starts.
[1] [Source 1] [2] [Source 2] [3] [Source 3]
- In addition to their strong showing in international basketball tournaments, Germany's NBA players like Nikola Jokic (from Source 1), Dennis Schröder (from the text), and Franz Wagner (from the text) have also made their marks in the National Basketball Association (NBA), showcasing their skills on a global stage.
- Basketball is not confined to one region; it's a sport that brings together countries like Germany, Turkey (from the text), and Spain (from the text and sources 2 and 3) for competitive events like the Euro Championship, the FIBA World Cup, and the Olympics (as mentioned in the text).
