Germany Completes Undefeated World Cup Run
Gone are the days when the United States basketball program dominated the international stage whether it was the FIBA World Cup or the Olympics. And if the 2023 FIBA World Cup is any indication, international basketball is continuing to close the gap on the US and the new World Cup champions are proof of that.
Germany Bests Serbia for the Gold
Coached by Gordie Herbert, the Germans completed their unbeaten run in Okinawa and Manila- capped by off by an 83-77 victory against Serbia to win Germany’s first gold medal at the FIBA World Cup.
Dennis Schroder was honoured as MVP of the tournament and led all German scorers with 28 points. He also sealed the deal with a lay-up with 21 seconds to play. Franz Wagner added 19 points, seven rebounds, and three steals across 33 minutes, while Johannes Voigtmann had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Both teams shot under 50% from the field (Germany 49% – Serbia 42%). However, the Germans did a better job- grabbing defensive rebounds off the Serbians’ misses (24-17).
Aleksa Avramovic led Serbia with 21 points in their silver medal finish. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 points and shot 60% from the three-point line. Despite the loss, the Serbs should be proud of themselves as they reached the finals despite not having recently crowned NBA champion Nikola Jokic amongst their ranks. Something that’s likely to change come Paris 2024.
The Numbers
Throughout their unblemished run at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Germany wasn’t the top-scoring team. The Germans only averaged 93 points per game on 51.1% field goal shooting, including 38.1% three-point shooting.
Dennis Schroder, who averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 assists in the 2022-2023 NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, posted 19.1 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in this year’s edition of the World Cup. The Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz, also showed what they could do on the international stage, averaging 16.8 and 11.9 points respectively.
Even US Head Coach Steve Kerr couldn’t believe the Golden State Warriors passed on drafting Franz Wagner over Jonathan Kumiga- joking “I could have won more rings,”.
The Germans edged out the Americans in the semifinals, 113-111. The Wagner brothers combined for 32 points in the victory, while Daniel Theis had 21 points. Schroder had 17 points- including the step-back jumper with 40 seconds to play to put the game out of reach.
Germany didn’t have a single NBA All-Star player on their roster this year. But what enabled them to win gold in Manila was their depth and chemistry. Something that was evidently lacking on the American side at the tournament. Every player on the roster played their part beyond just scoring the basketball. More importantly, they proved to the world they could beat even the most star studded teams in the tournament. For that, they deserve the title of being world champions.
Paris 2024
With the World Cup now a closed book, Germany, like the rest of those who qualified, is looking forward to playing in the Olympics in Paris next year where they’ll face tougher competition. France, for one, will likely have not only Rudy Gobert but also Victor Wembanyama. Meanwhile a veritable who’s who of NBA veterans have already expressed interest in donning the Red, White, and Blue in Paris following their country’s 4th place finish at the World Cup.
LeBron James says he’s “ready to commit” to USA basketball for what’s likely his final Olympic run. While players such as Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and De’Aaaron Fox have also expressed their desire to represent their country as well.
While the US will undoubtedly enter the 2024 Summer Games as heavy favourites, the World Cup has proven that the distance between the States and the rest of the field is narrowing by the day.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Griff88. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.