Following Germany’s 88-83 triumph over Turkey in the 2025 EuroBasket, Dennis Schroder was awarded the tournament’s MVP and also selected to the All-Star five of the tournament alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alperen Sengun, Franz Wagner, and Luka Doncic.
In the post-game press conference, Schroder spoke to the media about how much the gold medal and MVP award meant to him. During that time, a journalist asked him if he saw any similarities between himself and Giannis, considering they both come from backgrounds that often face discrimination.
“Giannis came and made a gesture, came to me, and said exactly that. You know that we represent the country, I for Germany, he for Greece, who got his first medal as well for Greece, nothing but respect for him. He has four beautiful children, his wife, and his brothers, who are always with him.”
While Schroder did compare himself to Antetokounmpo, he made sure to give the Bucks’ superstar his flowers for his consistency in the NBA. Antetokounmpo led Greece to the bronze medal in this tournament after losing to Turkey in the semi-finals but defeating Finland in the bronze medal game.
“We’re doing exactly the same thing [on the international level], but what he does in the NBA is a little bit on a different level. He’s one of the best players in the world. And yeah, it’s just great that he came up to me and showed great sportsmanship and told me that he’s watching our YouTube videos. I like that.”
Dennis Schroder came up clutch for Germany as the Kings’ guard scored two back-to-back shots in the final minute to ice the game at the end. He finished the gold medal game with 16 points, 12 assists, and three rebounds. In the tournament, he averaged 20.3 points, 7.2 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Dennis Schroder Gives Dirk Nowitzki His Flowers
What Dirk Nowitzki was arguably to German basketball before retirement, is what Giannis Antetokounmpo has now become for Greece. He became the pioneer of inspiration in his country for other big men to follow. Schroder acknowledged the value of Nowitzki’s contributions during his post-game press conference as well.
“Dirk is a guy who changed basketball for all the big guys. So, at the end of the day, I’m Dennis Schroder, and everybody got their own legacy… Dirk, what he’s been doing for the German national team and what he’s done in the NBA and in the national team made us come to the national team and represent our country,” Schroder added.
“At the end of the day, my name is Dennis Schroder, and I’m just Dennis Schroder, and that’s my legacy. Whatever I can bring to the table to make sure my teammates are good and we compete at the highest level and win gold medals. That’s what I’m going to do. Everything else doesn’t matter,” Schroder concluded.
Germany, which won the 2023 FIBA World Cup, has now put an end to all the questions about whether the first win was a fluke. This roster has several more years of top-tier international basketball left to come with promising young players like Isaac Bonga, Franz Wagner, and more.
