Dennis Schroder has joined up with the Los Angeles Lakers after his exploits with Germany at EuroBasket and he is incredibly happy to be back. Schroder spent a season with the Lakers in 2020-21, which ended in disappointment for both him as well as the team and he now wants to make amends for it.
It had been a rough year or so for Schroder but he managed to make himself a sought-after commodity again after playing so well for Germany and he’ll be looking to carry on that momentum into the upcoming season. While Schroder is reuniting with a lot of his former teammates on the Lakers like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, there are a few more reunions that he has been looking forward to.
Dennis Schroder Says Darvin Ham Is The Main Reason He Is Back On The Lakers
Schroder is also reuniting with Russell Westbrook, as the two were teammates in OKC during the 2018-19 season and the German said Russ is like a big brother to him. While getting to play with Russ, LeBron and AD once again would have played a part in his decision to come back, Schroder revealed that the main reason he came to the Lakers is head coach Darvin Ham.
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“That was the main reason, to be honest, I’ve been with him (since) 2013 when I got drafted in Atlanta, and he’s been nothing but great to me. Learning from him over the years, staying in touch, he had camps in Germany where I came through to support him, so I call him family, and he knows that. So, whatever it takes to win a ballgame, I’ll do it.”
Schroder was drafted by the Hawks in 2013, the same year that Ham joined as an assistant coach and the two would be together till 2018 when Schroder was traded to the Thunder while Ham went with Mike Budenholzer to the Bucks. They are back together now and the relationship between the two shows how good Ham is at connecting with players, which should be a big positive for Lakers fans.
During this media session, Schroder also denied that he ever rejected a 4-year, $84 million deal from the Lakers in 2021. He claimed there was never an offer put forward to him, even though reports back then strongly suggested that there was one. We can only go by his word here and if he has a great season, then perhaps he will get a big deal from somebody next season.
