Miles Schmidt-Scheuber began to cover Jermaine Bucknor in 2010 when he played his first season in Frankfurt. They met up again in 2022 in Koblenz

September 10th could go down as a historic day in Fiba Basketball history. The sport will most likely see an exciting Gold medal game between Germany and Serbia and a Bronze medal game between USA and Canada that will feel like a second final. I can bet there were many people in North America who predicted a USA-Canada final especially with all the NBA guys, but a lot has happened in the last 15 years as the world has caught up. For guys from North America living overseas, a final with other countries isn’t such a weird thought. ‘If someone had told me that those 2 countries wouldn’t be in the final before the World Cup started, it wouldn’t have surprised me. The talent pool overseas is so high. I’m proud of Canada and how far they have come. The growth of Canadian basketball and commitment from NBA guys has been huge. Many had Canada in the final only from their NBA talent, but the difference is that countries like Serbia, Lithuania or Lativia have guys that have played together since they were 10 years old. The chemistry really matters and it matters so much when you have countries like these who know each other so well together for a short period of time. Canada has experience in the NBA, but not in Fiba play. USA had a great team, but they had no experience with Fiba rules. That really was a big difference. Every possession mattered in the World Cup’, stressed ex Canadian national player Jermaine Bucknor (201-PF-1983, college: Richmond) who represented Canada at the 2010 World Cup in Turkey. In Germany social media went crazy as Germans were so happy for this historic win, but in no way able to dis USA. Stateside the majority of delusional fans continued to disrespect the growing talent overseas and most continue to believe that everything is beneath the NBA. Why are Americans still so ignorant in terms of how they view the rest of the world in basketball? ‘It is difficult for Americans. The best league is the NBA. The best young talent is in the NCAA and the best young talent after that is also in USA. People overlook the rest of the world. The talent pool is just so large state side. You have literally so much talent in the United States. You look down your block and it’s there. Then you go in a different neighborhood and it’s there. It’s crazy. But I do feel that more respect is coming now from USA. The rest of the world have to thank guys like Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Dirk, the Joker, and Giannis. . They didn’t just play in the NBA, but performed at the very highest level. I believe all have won NBA MVP awards. They put international basketball on the map. The knowledge of international basketball is growing in USA’, warned Jermaine Bucknor. I put Bucknor to the test with the question of how many guys out of 100 American basketball fans would name Nikola Jokic as the best player in the world right now. ‘Honestly I would predict 8-10 people. Not all would say Lebron, but enough would add Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving. I think some would even put Luka Doncic before the joker. I think it would be tough for Americans to put a big man as the best simply because the NBA is so guard orientated’, said Jermaine Bucknor.

I reach Jermaine Bucknor on a hot Saturday afternoon a day before the Gold medal and Bronze medal games. Currently he is in Germany and already has a new coaching gig lined up, but not ready to announce it quite yet. As a Canadian he followed the World Cup with great interest especially Canada. He watched Canada-Serbia and was very disappointed with the outcome. He didn’t even feel like Canada played bad, but actually noticed something in the game that hadn’t occurred in the previous Canada games. ‘I don’t want to blame the refs as Canada has to own up to the loss. I felt like this game was refed differently than the earlier games. The games before were very physical, but in the semi-final, all of sudden every hand check was called. We had some guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillion Brooks and RJ Barrett get hit with 2 quick fouls. This changed our line up and Serbia quickly was up 10 points. Canada was never able to even it out. Shai was out of rhythm and that changed the dynamic of the game. Canada had to play a different game. You could see that Canada was shocked by some calls’, stated Jermaine Bucknor. Canada had a very talented roster and was very deep, but were they possibly missing that third and fourth real explosive scorer behind Shai and Barrett? ‘I think we had a very good team. Dillion Brooks stepped up and did more than was expected. I think that we moved the ball well. Obviously if we would have had a Jamal Murray or Andrew Wiggins, our offense would have looked a lot different’, commented Jermaine Bucknor. Canadian basketball has grown so much in the last decade. 10 years ago, you rarely saw Canadian players overseas, but now it seems like they are everywhere. Was this Canadian national team the best ever and how does the future look like? ‘I think this was the best Canadian team that we have seen in a while, possibly the best ever. This team was incredible, but imagine how the team would have looked with Wiggins, Murray and Cory Joseph? That would have been insane. Or imagine if Tristan Thompson would have been on board. I think that the future is bright. You would want to hope that guys like Murray and Wiggins were at home watching the games and are thinking, I want to be there next summer and then see what happens’, expressed Jermaine Bucknor. So who does the ex Trier player see winning the Bronze medal? ‘It will be an exciting game. This will be the game with the most NBA players in it. Both teams went into previous games not knowing players, but in this game most will be familiar with one another. It will be like an NBA game. I think it will be high paced and high scoring. I’m rocking with Canada 98-95, added Jermaine Bucknor.

The ex Fraport Skyliner also watched the historic USA-Germany game which many have said is the greatest Fiba game of all-time. After the win USA coach Steve Kerr who played with Michael Jordan in the 90’s said that it isn’t 1992 anymore. ‘I love that quote. I’m really proud of Germany. I played against so many of those guys. A few summers ago, I was able to be an assistant coach for Hendrik Roedl when they had a training camp in Trier. It was an incredible experience. I played 9 years for the Canadian national team and have seen a lot in my life time, but I have never ever experienced the type of unity that Germany had. The work ethic was great and they were all on the same page. I was so thankful to have been a part of that. Germany beating USA didn’t shock me. I called it before the World Cup began. It takes years to develop a unity like that and Germany has it. It is like a brotherhood. I think winning in general means so much more to them than it does to USA. The USA guys fight for a NBA title each season, but the World Cup is simply everything for Germany. It is bigger than the Olympics for Germany. They have so much pride’, stressed Jermaine Bucknor. A few weeks ago, Germany wilted in the fourth quarter and couldn’t keep up with the American’s high paced style, but in the semi-final they were there until the end. It also helped that USA played too much 1-1 ball instead of team play. ‘The lack of team basketball hurt USA at the Fiba level. Ball movement is vital where spacing is limited. The ball has to pop. This isn’t the style of USA. I watched this game as a coach. When USA beat Germany with 1-1 play, I accepted it, but had the Americans been able to use the three more and get paint touches, they could of really hurt Germany, but they couldn’t take advantage of that’, said Jermaine Bucknor. Andi Obst continues to dazzle people more and more with every new performance. He is more than just a deadly shooter. ‘I think he has proven consistently that he is an elite shooter in the world. He can do so much more than just shoot. He can create and handle the ball well. He isn’t just a dead eye shooter. If they close out hard on him, he can still finish strong. He also can shoot. When you can shoot the way he does, anybody in the world will give him a look’, stressed Jermaine Bucknor.

The style that German basketball fans witnessed from Germany against USA most likely won’t be present in the Gold medal game against Serbia. It will be a different type of game, but won’t mean it will be less exciting. ‘I agree this could be one of the best finals ever. Both teams play a similar style to perfect team basketball. Both teams are really fun to watch. The talent level is so high. Both teams support each other so much and everyone plays their roles best. Both teams play so unselfish. I believe it will be a physical and exciting game. It will be gritty with guys diving on the floor for loose balls. Both teams will leave it on the floor’, warned Jermaine Bucknor. Both team’s will be coming into the final high on emotion and exhibiting much self-confidence. It is really difficult to call out a favorite. ‘Germany has to execute well and value the ball. They have to execute well after time outs and get the ball to where they want to. They also have to slow down the tempo and limit their turnovers. Serbia likes to get into the open court. Germany can’t give up easy baskets. That will give Serbia extra confidence. Germany has to continue to knock down open shots. Dennis doesn’t need a perfect game to win, but a good solid game. Mo Wagner is the ex-factor. He makes Germany tick. He is irreplaceable’, warned Jermaine Bucknor. Germany didn’t see any difficult defensive schemes from USA, but against Serbia it will be a different story. ‘Serbia has to lock down on defense and key in on Dennis and be physical with him. They have to make the game as fast as possible and get in the open court. Bogdanovic has to play very well and make plays. Isaac Bonga could play a huge role in the game depending how well he can guard Bogdanovic. His athleticism and length has helped him be solid on defense. He takes pride on defense’, stated Jermaine Bucknor. So who will come out as the winner? I have Germany prevailing 92-90 with a Franz Wagner buzzer beater. ‘It will be a close game. It will be a game of runs and go down to the last seconds. I have to go with Germany. Germany has waited so long for this moment. Serbia is more experienced, but Germany is so hungry. Their time has come. Germany wins 85-83’, said Jermaine Bucknor. Perhaps on Sunday night, Jermaine Bucknor can celebrate twice with Germany winning the Gold and Canada winning the Bronze. I’m sure he’ll celebrate a third time sometime with Gordon Herbert on the phone. ‘I’m so proud of Gordie. It is so amazing what he has done with the program in the last 2 years. The unity has developed further under him’, stressed Jermaine Bucknor.

Tags : JERMAINE BUCKNOR, ROMERSTROM GLADIATORS TRIER, GERMAN BASKETBALL