football

Despite Being Shot Twice Rookie Toru Dean Overcame All Odds And Is Showing His True Point Guard Skills With The TSV Bargteheide BEES

There are hundreds and hundreds of American ballers in Europe playing in lower leagues living the dream. Guys that played in the NCAA 2, NAIA and even JUCO that had no real guarantee of ever making it overseas. All have sheer talent and here and there had some luck as well as they were aided by competent agents and maybe even had the prefect contact that helped along the well. These guys faced a lot of adversary in their careers often being doubted for whatever reason. A common one being the height. You simply don´t see many 173cm guards doing cross overs overseas. Thankfully for Toru Dean, he is a 183cm guard that has an acceptable guard height overseas, but then again not 190cm which would still make many things easier. Dean suffered some real adversary half way through his University career that not many have faced. Size and school league level are common reasons why skilled guys get overlooked, but in the case of him, it was a lot worse. Between his transfer from Barry (NCAA2) and Langston University (NCAA2), he was shot twice. First his right leg was hit and the second shot nailed his upper left leg. He thankfully got through rehab despite not knowing if he could ever play again, but thankfully he could and the rest is history. He is playing his rookie season in Germany and feels so blessed, but those hard times more than 3 years ago is still with him today. “Of course I had doubts about my basketball career but thank god for my family. I just had the perfect support system to build me up again”, remembered Toru Dean. Despite being shot twice Toru Dean overcame all odds and is showing his true point guard Skills with the TSV Bargteheide Bees.

The Miami native who lists Anthony Edwards and Scottie Barnes as his toughest players that he ever faced on a court began his basketball career at South Miami high school. He then played 3 years at Barry University (NCAA2) from 2019-2022 playing a total of 64 games. Unfortunately in his second season he only played 7 games because of Covid. “Being locked into those dorms drove the team a little crazy then no fans at the games made the season 10x harder. Also the COVID testing everyday to workout was very frustrating. Also I couldn’t see family members and friends and I really had to have my best mentally”, remembered Toru Dean. In his first season he averaged 8.8ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 32.9%, FT: 65.1% and in his last season averaged 9.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.1apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 39.9%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 62.9%. He helped the team reach the SSC final in 2022 and was named to the all tournament team. He had many great games against Embry Riddle and also against Lynn. In the 87-84 victory over Embry Riddle, he had 19 points, 6 boards and 7 dimes. “That was one of my best games of my career being so young showed me I could actually play at a very high level”, stressed Toru Dean. He then transferred to Langston University (NAIA) averaging 10.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.5apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 46.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 81.0% and 9.4ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.1apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 69.4%. He won 2 SAC titles. Was one title sweeter than the other? “Both titles meant the same to me, because both of the teams played a huge role to where I am today. I appreciate and love each and every guy that I met at Langston because it was a true BROTHERHOOD”, remembered Toru Dean. He reached NAIA final in 2024. The team defended incredibly allowing only 50,0ppg up to the final. In the final they had to suffer a tough 71-67 loss to FHU. “Honestly that year really taught me how me to appreciate and respect the game”, said Toru Dean. In those 2 magical years at Langston, he played 64 games and scored in double figures 31 times including 26 points against TxWes and 21 points against USAO. He was more than fortunate playing for the right coach with Chris Wright. “He held me to the highest standards because I was the leader of the team. Which molded me as a Man. Things I learned from him I could use in the real world. One of his sayings is “How you do something is how you do everything “and the standards he held me too made me feel like I can overcome anything with the right mindset”, commented Toru Dean who remembered his 1-1 battles with teammate Gquavious Lennox being a tie. He made the SAC All-Tournament Team and NAIA All-America Third Team in 2024.

The guard who lists LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaq on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore is playing his rookie season in Germany with the TSV Bargteheide BEES.The first real shock is the weather as it is already very cold in early autumn as opposed to the warmth of Florida. “I hate the cold weather but it’s definitely something I’ll have to get used to but I’m looking forward to it. Miami weather is always the best weather”, expressed Toru Dean. Just like in school, he has to continue to prove himself as he is playing in the fourth division called Regionalliga. The chip is still on his shoulder as height is always a question mark for others, but never for him. “Of course height has always been the problem until they faced me and wondered why I played at the high level and wondered why my team went so far. Because I was always underrated because of my height”, stated Toru Dean. Despite his height he has needed no adjustment period posting a double double in an early season game. “Honestly it’s very different from playing in the USA. The pre-season games really helped me get used to the physicality and after those 2 games I knew I could play and be able to produce on this level”, said Toru Dean. Not only does he feel very comfortable on the court, but also off the court. He is very fortunate to be teammates with ultra veteran Abdulai Abaker who knows the ropes of overseas ball. “ABU” he is an awesome human being nice guy. He made it easy for me to come to the team and fit in comfortably without guys turning their heads not knowing what to expect. He is a competitor and we make each other better every practice”, warned Toru Dean who lists Lebron James as his GOAT

The Florida native who lists Cortez “ ice Tez ” G Lennox Jake”J swish” Tylan Birts and Anthony Roy as his 5 best teammates of all-time is 183 cm guard who is a great mix of Chris Paul and Patrick Beverly and is a very feisty defender that knows how to run a team very well and make everyone him better. But what kind of a point guard is he? He is way more than just a pass first point guard. “I would label myself as a TRUE POINT GUARD. Someone that leads and makes his team better. Getting everyone involved and looking to make the right play”, warned Toru Dean. The question is how well will his playmaking translate to overseas ball? He never averaged more than 4,0apg in school. Could the Regionalliga be a league where he could average 6-8 assists. “Offensively I can average 6-8 assists just based off playing in the system not including fast break opportunities and steals leading to fast breaks opportunities”, stressed Toru Dean. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish as a rookie with his shooting. “Shooting 40% from the three and 85 from the free throw line. And being more consistent I always have been an all around player so I never really focused on just shooting”, stressed Toru Dean. Not only will he shine on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end as being an impact player is the name of the game. “I’m just a hard-nosed defender. I can guard almost anyone between 5’10-6’5 on the perimeter. As long as it’s not in the post I’ll be okay. The defender I want to become is like a Patrick Beverley someone that just doesn’t stop and annoys other team with being a pest on ball defender”, warned Toru Dean. There are still many areas of his game to improve. “Just working on improving my game all around. But I really have been focusing on shooting more consistently off the dribble pulls and being to make open threes consistently”, warned Toru Dean. He has a lot of free time in the Regionalliga and knows exactly what areas he will be working on most in the lab. It will be interesting to see how his rookie season in Germany will go. He is definitely a player on a mission to continue to prove all doubters wrong.

Nate Watson(Panionios Athens) Can´t Be Content With His Game Now But Needs To Keep Working Hard And Improving To Reach The Euroleague One Day

Nate Watson (208-C-1998, college: Providence, agency: Octagon Europe) is a 26 year old 208cm center playing his fourth professional season and first with Panionios Athens (Greece-GBL). Last season he played with AS Karditsa Iaponiki (Greece-GBL) averaging 14.9ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.2bpg, 2FGP: 67.4%, FT: 47.7%, later signed with Casademont Zaragoza (Spain-Liga ACB) averaging 6.8ppg, 2.1rpg, FGP: 63.5%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 52.2%. In the 2023-2024 season he played with KK FMP SoccerBet Beograd (Serbia- Adriatic League averaging 7.1ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 63.6%, FT: 58.5%. He played his rookie season with ERA Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL) averaging 9.6ppg, 4.2rpg, FGP: 63.4%, FT: 63.9%. He began his basketball career at Bishop O´Connell High School and then played at Providence College (NCAA) from 2017-2022 playing a total of 154 games. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Eurocup game against easyCredit BBL team Niners Chemnitz.

Thanks Nate for talking to germanhoops.com. Your playing your fourth pro season and second in Greece and first with Panionios Athens. What kind of an experience has it been playing for this organization?

The experience has been nice. I love Greece and I love being here. Playing for this organization is great. The coach is good and I love my teammates. The chemistry is great and we can still get better.

After 2 seasons in the Czech Republic and Serbia you had your break out season overseas last season playing well in Greece and reaching the ACB in Spain. Is your confidence because of that on an all-time high?

I had my break out season last season and it definitely boosted my confidence, because the ACB is one of the best leagues in Europe if not the best. I played really well against Euroleague teams and it definitely gave me confidence. I hope one day to reach the highest level.

You averaged 14/7 in Greece last season. Do you feel like your game is specially well suited for the style in the GBL?

I think that my game is suited really well for Greece, but I feel like it also depends on the situation I´m in. Having chemistry with my teammates and coaches all matter. Fortunately I had so much chemistry last season. It was just me, but a whole collective effort that helped me be successful.

What is your biggest goal as a player this season besides winning games? Is becoming a well known big man in the GBL a goal?

My biggest goal is just to be the best that I can be. I want to win titles and just continue to grow as a player and become a better player every year.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 208cm center. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I don´t really compare my game to any NBA bigs, but just try to pick up skills from many different players. I used to always watch Al Jefferson who was a really good post player. Sometimes I like to try to steal his moves like his up and under or ball fakes or bully ball to the rim. I don´t believe that I´m a one way 5 player. I can do many things like play 1-1 in the post or catch alley oops.

You demonstrated in the NCAA and Czech Republic that you can be a valuable shot blocker. What kind of a defender are you at the moment and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?

I want to become an elite defender and be able to guard all 5 positions. Sometimes late in the shot clock, you have to switch on the point guard and I want to be able to do that at an elite level. I showed that I could do that last year, but I want to be bale to do it consistently. I also want to become a better shot blocker. Not only blocking my man, but also other guys coming into the zone. I don´t want anyone to score on me or my team.

On what areas of your game are you working on most at the moment so you can continue to improve your game?

I´m working most on areas outside the paint. I´m working on shooting jumpers and also playmaking.

Last season you split time with AS Karditsa Iaponiki (Greece-GBL) averaging 14.9ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.2bpg, 2FGP: 67.4%, FT: 47.7%, later signed with Casademont Zaragoza (Spain-Liga ACB) averaging 6.8ppg, 2.1rpg, FGP: 63.5%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 52.2%. You got a first tast of Greece and held your own against Euroleague team Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. Which player do you remember standing out most then from those 2 clubs?

The 2 players that stood out the most were Alexsandar Vezenkov who is an amazing player. He can get so many points without dribbling. He rebounds really well. He really just does everything so well. I remember my adrenaline being so high against Panathinaikos, because I was so excited, I don´t really remember so much from that game. All I remember is Omer Yurtseven. I had already played against him with Providence when he was with Georgetown. He really stood out the most, because he has a big body and played really well against us.

You then finished in Spain and had good games against Euroleague teams FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Did games like these and in Greece give you confidence that you could be a Euroleague player one day?

Playing well against Euroleague players definitely gives me confidence that I could be a Euroleague player one day. But I can´t be content with how I´m playing right now. I have to continue to keep working hard every day and get better

You played your second pro season with KK FMP SoccerBet Beograd (Serbia-KLS) averaging 3.5ppg, 1.8rpg; and in the Adriatic League averaged 7.1ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 63.6%, FT: 58.5%. What memories do you have of this season. You had some growing pains. Despite that what positives could you gain from the season?

I definitely did have some growing pains in Serbia. I don´t know if the situation was bad or I was? I just didn´t work out. I went from having a bad season in Serbia to having a great season in Greece. It was a humbling season in Serbia. I wanted to get better so I got stronger and better in shape so I could be better. I took no days off. I was first in the gym and last to leave. I had a statement to make. I wanted to prove everyone wrong who had doubted me in Serbia. I think that I did that.

You played your rookie season with ERA Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL) averaging 9.6ppg, 4.2rpg, FGP: 63.4%, FT: 63.9%; and in the BCL averaged 8.5ppg, 5.5rpg, FGP: 56.4%, FT: 58.3%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

I knew that I was far from home when I was at the grocery store and I was asking for Mayonnaise and nobody knew what I was talking about. Nobody really knew what I was talking about and the village I was living in was called Podebrady and it was very small.

What was it like being teammates with legend Petr Benda who has won an incredible 27 titles with Nymburk? Was he like a mentor for you?

It was an amazing experience being his teammate as a rookie. He won so many titles for Nymburk and was also a big like me. He was always in my ear and how to become a better player. We always battled in practice. He was an old man, but very strong. It was definitely a good experience going against such an experienced player every day in practice.

You played at Providence College (NCAA) from 2017-2022 reaching 2 NCAA tournaments losing to Texas A& M and then losing to Kansas. What do you remember most from the second run at March madness?

In my second run at March Madness, it was a great time. It was a dream to get so far. It was really hard losing, because it was my last NCAA game. It really hurt to lose, but just a great experience to get that far. Even if we lost to the champions, it was cool being able to play against them.

You had 3 great games against Butler as a senior. Was one of these games your fondest moment in the NCAA?

My fondest moments from these games was just how hard everyone plays. For some players, it is their last game as a college player, so they give all that they got. There is a lot of emotion on the court and you have people crying after the game. Everyone is my locker room were shedding tears. We knew it was over. We knew that we would never play a college game again. It is a bitter sweet moment knowing you have things after college most likely being a professional athlete or make money in the real world. There is this uncertainty that you don´t really know what will happen. That is why there is so much emotion.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in the NCAA that reached the NBA?

The toughest player I faced was Markus Howard who went far in Europe. He scored 50 points against us. He was a great player.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

My teammates from Providence David Duke, Alpha Diallo, Aljami Durham, Noah Horchler, Jared Bynum

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Lebron James and Nikola Jokic

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron James

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

I didn´t see it, but like always sequels are never as good as the first one. It probably makes sense to leave it alone.

Thanks Nate for the chat.

Tomas Bjarkason Isn´t Only A Leader But Another Swiss Army Knife With SC Rist Wedel

Tomas Bjarkason (204-F-1999, college: Lewis, agency: BIG) is a 26 year old 204cm forward from Denmark playing his first season with SC Rist Wedel. He played the last 4 seasons with BK Amager (BasketLigaen) averaging 16.0ppg, RPG-3 (10.2), 4.6apg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 58.4%, 3PT: 35.0%, FT: 50.0%. He played a season with Lewis University (NCAA 2). He began his basketball career with the Svendborg Rabbits. He spoke to germanhoops.com before the season opener against the Dragons Rhondorf.

Thanks Tomas for talking to germanhoops.com. Your playing your first season out of Denmark in Europe with SC Rist Wedel. Why did you chose this organization?

I had some good talks with Hamed about my fit with the team and their philosophy. During the talks I also had the opportunity to come to Hamburg and practices with Hamed and some of the players, after that I felt it was a good place to go.

What kind of an experience has Germany been and the Pro B league. How is the whole experience different to playing in Denmark the last years?

The physicality and the crowds. The refs allow more physical play here compared to Denmark and the crowds here is more engaged in the game, especially the yalla rister from wedel

How has the working relationship been with head coach Hamed Attarbashi? What have you appreciated most about his basketball philosophy?

It’s been a good relationship. He’s intense and want a high energy team.

Your playing on a very young team where you’re the oldest. Do you see yourself being that leader?

It’s not anything new for me, my last couple of years in Amager I have been the most experienced player and also had the role as one of the team leaders.

Your teammate Lincoln Rosebush said this about you. “I’ve never played with another passing big like Tomas, and it makes my life on the floor so much easier with how well he sees the floor. We’ve spent a lot of time together so far and I feel that theres a natural chemistry that will really show in Pro-B games. We both can create and play inside and out which makes us dangerous as a unit”. What do you appreciate most about his game?

He’s a great shooter

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 204cm forward. If you had to compare your game to an NBA or Euroleague player who would make the best description?

I have been compared to being the Danish Tornike shengelia.

You fill the stat sheet well. Are you also a Swiss Army knife like Lincoln Rosebush?

Yes I would say so

You do so many things so well on the court. Is there anything that you feel is a bit off the radar?

I don’t know, haven’t thought much about that and if it is other teams won’t scout it so that’s good.

You’re a really good defender. How would you classify yourself as a defender now and what kind of defender do you still want to become?

A defender that doesn’t end up in foul trouble, so I can stay on the court

On what areas of your game are you working on most so you can still improve your game?

Just by looking at my percentage from last year it would be the 3 ball and free throws thats the part of my game I’m improving to round my game better

You played the last 5 years with BK Amager (BasketLigaen). What kind of an experience was that? You made big strides in your game in your last 3 years. How did your game grow there? You played for many different coaches.

It was my childhood club, so nice to be back home. The first year I was out with a meniscus year and surgery and was back for the second year, after the second year I was one of the guys with most responsibilities on both offense and defense and my game just grew trough that

You had many great games with BK Amager being close to a triple double and once grabbing 24 rebounds in a game. What was your fondest moment there?

There are a lot, but I would say when we beat Svendborg in the season opener. Was a mix of being a great start and beating old teammates and club.

You played a season at Lewis University (NCAA2) playing only 5 games. Despite not playing much, what positives could you take from your year in USA?

I was injured for most of the year, so it really helped me to understanding how important all the of the court you do for yourself is.

You began your basketball career with the Svendborg Rabbits. How valuable was this time for your early basketball development? Did you have a type of mentor there?

The physical development and the basketball iq took huge strides while being there.

I had different kinds of mentors, Axel Kárason who just was the best and toughest teammate that you could ever want. Nana and Antonio Porta mentored me in play and being a professional

How much of a role model was Terrell Harris? He played in low leagues, but then reached the BBL in Germany and Serie A Italy? He showed he can go from the bottom to top.

Terrell was more a friend and a teammate than a mentor in that sense. While me and nana Harding played the same position he mentored me more

You were a junior national player for Denmark and a national team player. How is the current state of Danish basketball? Are there any talents coming in the next years?

It’s good, a lot of young talents coming up both through the youth and also in college. The u18 team just won the European Championship B, so they had some talents and then the u16 team has some promising players.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced that reached the NBA?

LaMelo Ball

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Pg: Antonio Porta

SG: Iffe Lundberg

SF: Darko jukic

PF: Nana Harding

C: Kevin Larsen

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

MJ, lebron, Kareem and Bill Russell

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

Nope didn’t see it and didn’t know it had a sequel

Thanks Tomas for the chat.

Lincoln Rosebush Is A Swiss Army Knife That Is Ready To Lead SC Rist Wedel To Success

Lincoln Rosebush (208-F-1999, agency: BIG) is a 25 year old 208 cm from Guelph, Ontario playing his second pro season overseas and first with SC Rist Wedel. Last season he played with Alianca Sangalhos (Portugal-Proliga) averaging 12.1ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT-2 (41.8%), FT: 73.8%. He got his first pro experience with Brampton Honey Badgers (CEBL) averaging 3.7ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.0apg. He began his basketball career with Lincoln Prep and then played 3 seasons with the University of British Columbia (U Sports). He then played 2 seasons with Toronto Metropolitan University (U Sports) averaging 9.4ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 54.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 68.4%and 9.2ppg, 6.8rpg, 4.6apg, 1.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 37.9%, FT: 61.9%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a game against the Dragons Rhondorf.

Thanks Lincoln for talking to germanhoops.com. After playing pro in Canada and Portugal, now your in Germany with SC Rist Wedel. What do you know in general about the country Germany and it´s basketball?

Well, first of all, I know it’s developed into one of the best basketball countries in the world, winning the World Cup a few years ago and most recently EuroBasket. I know its a very multicultural place and generally very sports-oriented.

Have you ever had ex teammates or opponents play in Germany?

Quite a few. From the CEBL, Callum Baker played Pro-A last year following our summer on the Honey Badgers. I played AAU with Abu Kigab, who spent some time here recently. I spent a lot of time this past summer with Jahlin Smith, who just finished here. And the newest coach of the UBC Thunderbirds, Phil Jalalpoor, played in Germany for much of his pro career after his time at UBC.

Why did you choose this club for your second pro season overseas? What do you appreciate most about the organization?

Rist Wedel and the Towers provided the best opportunity to improve my game and also push my career forward. The coaches really understood my game from the first time they saw me and I felt like it was the best opportunity to be successful in both the short term and long term.

How has the working relationship been with head coach Hamed Attarbashi? What have you appreciated most about his basketball philosophy?

Coach Hamed has been very welcoming from the day I arrived. He is an excellent teacher and communicator, and gives me the chance to lead the young guys and find my voice as one of oldest guys on the team. His players play so hard for him and that establishes the standard.

Your playing on a very young team where you’re the oldest. Is that weird since your only in your second pro season? Do you see yourself being that leader?

I was in a similar situation in college, where I was one of the oldest players by far on a very young team. I feel as a leader it is important to meet each person where they are at and I’m lucky enough to have some experience in that realm. While it might be different because now I am a pro and before I wasn’t, having 6 years in school does have some advantages when it comes to leadership.

What has it been like playing with Tomas Bjarkason? How do you guys compliment each other best?

I’ve never played with another passing big like Tomas, and it makes my life on the floor so much easier with how well he sees the floor. We’ve spent a lot of time together so far and I feel that theres a natural chemistry that will really show in Pro-B games. We both can create and play inside and out which makes us dangerous as a unit.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 208cm forward/center. If you had to compare your game to a NBA player who would fit the description best?

I think I’m kind of in the Kelly Olynyk mold. I can shoot the ball well, pass, post up, and put the ball on the floor a bit.

You have been described as a Swiss Army knife. Did you always have these qualities or were they were more developed at Toronto Metropolitan University (U Sports)?

I think I’ve been developing them my whole life. At TMU we had a lot of really talented scorers, like Aaron Rhooms and David Walker, so we really needed someone to do the other stuff like rebounding, passing, and blocking shots. At TMU we would be best when I was focused on those things. Now as a pro it helps me a lot because I can adjust my game to what is needed to win.

You have shot the ball really well since going to Toronto Metropolitan University (U Sports). What steps do you want to make with your three pointer this season?

I want to stay as confident as I can in my shooting and hopefully attempt more 3s a game than I have before.

Do you still see yourself somewhat as raw as a defender? How would you classify your defensive game now in your third pro season?

I think I can always be better as a defender, but my goal is to be excellent positionally and on the glass.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now as you continue to improve your game?

I would say my biggest focus for this season is rebounding.

You played your rookie season overseas with Alianca Sangalhos (Portugal-Proliga) averaging 12.1ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT-2 (41.8%), FT: 73.8%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a rookie where you knew that you were far away from home?

Probably Christmas, when I was all by myself in the house. But I really enjoyed being overseas as well, Portugal was a beautiful country to explore.

How valuable was it having fellow Canadian James Woods on the team in Portugal? You knew him from school. He was a rookie like you and knew what you were going through. Did you become like brothers?

Yeah, definitely. It was crazy how it worked out, the club didn’t know we knew each other and we just happened to get offered to the same team. We spent so much time together through the ups and the downs and he really helped me during the hard times. He’s a hell of a player as well and I’m excited to see what his career brings.

You had many great games in Portugal like scoring 23 points against Vasco de Gama. What was your fondest moment on the court?

Beating Vasco was huge, each time we played them it always came down to the wire and they ended up winning the league. My favourite moment would probably be beating Illiabum at home near the end of the season, because it was the club’s biggest rival and we ended their season.

You got your first experience with Brampton Honey Badgers (CEBL), averaging 3.7ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.0apg. What positives could you get from this experience?

That was my first experience with pro basketball. I saw how established pros worked, how the flow of the game was different, and also how cutthroat of a business it is. I also realized I had the potential to play at a high level and got some vision of how to get there.

After playing at Lincoln Prep, you played at the University of British Columbia (U Sports) for 4 years. You never averaged more than 5,2ppg. What positives could you get from these years with your basketball development?

I had to work so hard to even get on the floor at UBC. There was a lot of talent on our roster, with many guys that went on to play pro at various levels. Having to fight for every minute ended up being a blessing because I was forced to dramatically improve my game and it served me well after I had moved on from UBC.

You won the Canada West title in 2020 over Western. What memories do you have winning that title and then little time later Covid coming? – note we won the national bronze medal over Western, and the Canada West title over Calgary.

Well I remember Manroop Clair had 39 and an all-time interview after the game. We wanted to win the whole thing so we were still reeling from the loss the night before. And the next weekend COVID shut the world down and I flew back home to Ontario.

You had some good games against TWU, TRU and Victoria. What was your fondest moment at the University Of British Columbia?

The game against Victoria was probably my favourite, I played the entire second half and that was their only loss during the regular season, I had a big putback dunk and a few threes.

You then played at Toronto Metropolitan University (U Sports) averaging 9.4ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 54.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 68.4% and 9.2ppg, 6.8rpg, 4.6apg, 1.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 37.9%, FT: 61.9%. Your minutes rose from 13 to 23. How did your game grow in those 2 years?

Well that was where all the work I put in for 4 years at UBC really helped me. I was given an opportunity and was lucky enough that what I did really helped the team on the floor. I was also willing to do whatever it took to get on the floor and win games, and Coach DeAveiro recognized my value.

You had many great games like against York and Toronto. What was your fondest moment on the court at Toronto Metropolitan University?

I had a triple double and 9 points in the last 2 minutes in a rivalry game against Toronto with my Grandparents in attendance – that was the first time they had ever seen me play, and my grandfather passed 9 months later. It was special as an athlete and as a grandson.

How did David DeAveiro groom and prepare you best for a pro career?

Coach DeAveiro never sugarcoated anything. He coaches players hard and tells them the truth. It gave me thick skin and resilience, and he also really opened my eyes to seeing the game differently in terms of Xs and Os.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Aiden Wilson?

Back then, I just had to throw a shot fake up there and he would jump to the moon. Maybe now he stays down though.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your life on the court that reached the NBA?

I played AAU with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s pretty good at basketball.

Chris Boucher also routinely makes my life tough for like 3 summers in a row now. His wingspan makes him so hard to guard.

Honourable mention to Isiaha Mike, formally Partizan now on Bayern. He’s also super tough. He just always does the right thing in each situation.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time

Give me James Woods, Aaron Rhooms, Zack Moore, Simon Chamberlain, and Jadon Cohee.

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?

LeBron, Kobe, Dirk and Larry Bird are my favourites.

Who is your GOAT and why?

2018 LeBron was the best player to ever touch a basketball. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Game 1 of the Finals was probably the best basketball game I ever saw someone play.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

Didn’t see it. Probably not a good plan to wait 30 years.

Thanks Lincoln for the chat.

Could This Be The Best Pro A Season Ever For The EPG Baskets Koblenz? Why Not?

It is no secret that the last 2 seasons of the EPG Baskets Koblenz were nothing to brag about. In fact they were quite poor as both seasons ended with the club ending on the 16th position. Despite the non-success, the organization has always been ambitious. It is also no secret that the long term goal of the club is to play in the easyCredit BBL. Sport director Thomas Klein loves his team and will do anything to bring success. The last 2 seasons featured 2 coaches with Pat Elzie and Marco Van Den Berg that were able to bring in talented individual players, but that doesn´t guarantee winning. One hopes that one learns from it´s past mistakes. Thomas Klein´s first good mood was bringing in the success coaching duo from Rhondorf with Stephan Dohrn and KJ Sherril. My feeling that this season´s club could be a good one grew with every new signing that happened through out the summer. It seems like this time the club has learned from it´s past mistakes and have brought in the right mix from the guard position to the center position. My feeling that this could be a good season continues to be there as the team continues to grow in pre season. The team has individual talent, character and heart. “Almost every new player wants to prove themselves. They are all high character guys. They want prove themselves not with their ego´s, but as team players. They all want to play together”, warned EPG Baskets sport director Thomas Klein. This is thought was heightened simply by the type of players they have brought in. One can never be sure about the Americans, but with Calvin Wishart (188-G-1999, college: UCSB)t, Tim Smith Jr and Aleksa Kovacevic, the team has 3 winners. I will be bold and proclaim that this will be the best season ever for the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Ok one can only get better from landing on the 16th place the last 2 seasons, but still the Pro A is fiercely competitive where any team can beat any team on any night. The only place is up with this team and they will be better than 16th place. “I´m really looking forward to the season and have 100% a good feeling. I think the team is very homogeneous and we are stronger than the last 2 seasons. We are above average at the guard position. I think the team has shown that in pre season”, stressed Thomas Klein.

A big problem the last 2 seasons was the defense of the EPG Baskets Koblenz. At least last year they tried to focus and defend better and at times it worked, but as usual they never could truly establish a real defensive identity and 1-1 defense often hurt them most. In both seasons, they had the talent to score a lot, but still scored a lot less than what was expected. A big problem last season was the terrible three point shooting percentage. This season, the club wants to be able to combine offense and defense and be more consistent. If the formula worked once before in Rhondorf where Dohrn led the team to the Pro B title, why not do it again in Koblenz. “It’s pretty much the same concept here in Koblenz. With Stephan, he puts emphasis on defense. So we want that to be our identity, not just an offensive team. We know we can score, but we want to have consecutive defensive stops. That’s what wins games”, warned KJ Sherrill.. This season the club has really powerful guards with Wishart, Kovacevic, Hicks, and Buck, but also have very skilled big men who are very experienced. In the last years, the big men play wasn´t as focused on scoring. Will that change this season? “Our bigs maybe won’t be our outstanding scorers, but their presence under the basketball is what we need. Rebounding and being physical down low. Controlling the paint and setting good screens. With their experience, they are able to contribute to the game a whole lot and we are happy to have them with us”, stated KJ Sherrill. “We are very big especially at the positions 3-5, but even big at the position 2. We are very versatile and will play fast and be aggressive on defense”, warned Thomas Klein.

The clubs 2 best signings were most likely Calvin Wishartt and Aleksa Kovacevic. With Wishart, you have a motivated guard who showed last season that he was a top guard in the Pro B. He knows how to lead a team and is more than just a great offensive player, but gives all on defense. He could be a MVP candidate. Aleksa Kovacevic has BBL experience and is ready to have a great Pro A season so he can get back to the BBL. He played many years for Crailsheim and practiced on a daily basis with top BBL guards TJ Shorts, Trae Bell-Haynes and Dwayne Russell and learned from NBA coach Tuomas Iisalo. The Serbian is so hungry. He will rock the Pro A. Badu Buck has had his ups and downs as a pro, but had success with Dohrn in Rhondorf and will give important offensive qualities to the team, but most importantly leadership skills. Garrett Hicks comes to Koblenz after a strong rookie season in Georgia. Don´t let his Damian Lillard scoring fool you. He is more than that, but a guy who will do anything to help the team win. The team kept young guard Jacob Hanzalek from last season. He had trouble last season getting minutes and it won´t be easier this season, but he is a point guard that plays controlled that can hit the three pointer as well as make the big play on defense.

The team has a talented rotation at the forward position with 2 Germans and 2 Americans. Tim Smith Jr comes from the Dragons Rhondorf and has a great rookie season and wants to make the next step in the Pro A. He has shown in the pre-season that he can do that. He is a scorer and tenacious rebounder that is also an impact defender. He doesn´t talk much on the court, but leads by example. He most likely won´t have the Pro B stats, but will be consistent in the minutes he gets. He could be a glue guy type of player. DJ Jeffries came late to the team and is hungry for his pro break through. It is his first season overseas and he is more than motivated to have success after a very disappointing season in the G-League. His middle name could be Mr versatile as he fills the stat sheet with ease, but most importantly is a good defender that can guard many positions. He wants to be the next successful DJ in Koblenz. The team also brought in experienced Jonas Niedermanner. He like others on the team is very versatile and can shoot the three. The fan of Tadas Sedekerskis has 6 seasons of Pro A experience as well as BBL experience. Perhaps the most interesting signing was young 22 year old German Jannis Sonnefeld. After paying his dues in the Bamberg and Trier organizations, he had his Pro A break through in Paderborn last season averaging 9/7. He is also versatile and likes to shoot the three pointer. When describing the 2 centers Marko Bacak and Alex Moeller, all one can say is experienced. Bacak has 6 Pro A season experience and 4 BBL seasons with Oldenburg and was even teammates with BBL legend Rickey Paulding while Moeller proved in 5 Pro B seasons that he was a top center and during his 4 Pro A seasons was a solid role player. Bacak is another versatile big man that plays like Johannes Voigtmann while Moeller is the classic banger under the basket.

So what kind of a season will the EPG Baskets Koblenz have this season and where will they land? When looking at the schedule, one can´t say that they have an easy start. They have to face BG Goettingen and Crailsheim in the first 3 games. At least those games are at home. A good start would be ideal for the team. The club knows that you can´t look forward, but simply take it game by game in the Pro A. This should be a club that will average somewhere between 80-85 points. They also should be a strong rebounding team. They also should be a better three point shooting team after their horrible shooting season in 2024-2025. Scoring won´t be the problem, but can they be a well rounded defensive team? The club definitely have the versatility and good defensive players. It will be the job of the coaching staff to develop an identity quickly and then continue to develop it. “When you play fast and aggressive, you give the opponent more possessions. We will see more high scoring games than last season. Everybody thinks that coach Dohrn only concentrates on offense, but he is a very skilled defensive coach as well. I like how he really goes into detail”, warned Thomas Klein. I see this club having the potential of landing somewhere between 9-15. “I see us being somewhere between 10-12 this season”, added Thomas Klein. If they can develop through the season and refrain from getting injuries then they will have their best Pro A season ever.

In Klaus Perwas We Trust As Could This Be The Season Where The Skyliners Finally Make The BBL Playoffs Again?

Foto: Dmitrij Zibart | ZIBART.DE

It feels like an eternity since the last time the Skyliners made the easyCredit BBL playoffs. The last time the 2000 BBL cup winner reached the promised land not including the Covid season, they were led by the historic Gordon Herbert. Even if a guy like Gunnar Wobke surely could of predicted some things in the future when regarding Herbert, I’m sure nobody would ever have thought that the Canadian would be very responsible for the German national team having so much success. When the Skyliners bowed out to FC Bayern Munich in the spring of 2018, Franz Wagner was still a NBBL player, Isaac Bonga wasn’t even drafted by the NBA yet and Luka Doncic was still with Real Madrid. The Skyliners in the last 7 years have been an organization that have really struggled. It was even that bad, that the club had to play a season in the Pro A. The 2023-2024 was successful in that they moved right back to the BBL as that is definitely a feat. Teams like Bremerhaven, Giessen and Trier have stayed in the Pro A for years showing you can build yourself a rut in the Pro A.. Having enough money in the budget has always been a problem for the Skyliners. Often one reels in young Americans with little experience and just hope for the best. The best news story going into the 2025-2026 season is that they finally have Klaus Perwas as head coach. Perwas had always been the faithful assistant coach and once in a while even was interim head coach, but having the main responsibility was never his cup of tea. Somehow Wobke was able to persuade him to do the head coach job. Perwas is a coach that had been responsible for helping developing so many young Germans over the years and if there is 1 player that knows if Perwas can handle the head coaching job then it Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson who played there form 2009-2023. ‘ He was always cool and focused as an assistant coach. Now as head coach, we can see how he does everything his way. His defensive principles were always the same as Gordie Herbert. Now we will see how his offense will work. He has always been known as a defensive coach, but now we will see how the Skyliners offense works’, warned Quantez Robertson. With Perwas as head coach and a face lift with the roster, could this finally be the season again where the Skyliners make the playoffs?

You never really know what to expect when a club produces a fine house cleaning as they reeled in 7 new players. From the new players, the club have added a healthy mix of young and experience. But they also kept a healthy core from last year. Important is having that solid duo at the big positions with Lorenz Brenneke and Jacob Knauf. Both have experienced highs and lows over the years. Brenneke will bang inside while Knauf likes to sparkle form outside while also helping inside. The team added 2 really talented bigs with BBL experienced versatile Till Pape who played the last 2 years in Bonn and newcomer Ryan Hawkins who played in France and Italy the last 2 seasons and also sparkled with his versatile game while he shot 45% from outside in his last 2 seasons in the NCAA 2. The team also reeled in Radii Caisin and Jaedon LeDee for the forward positions. Casin played parts of 4 seasons in the BBL with 3 teams and played 96 BBL games, but never averaged more than 3,3ppg in a season. After 2 successful seasons with BC Raiffeisen Flyers Wels (Austria-BSL) where he averaged 18.8ppg, 7.6rpg, 3.1apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 57.6%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 82.2% last season, he is hungry for his BBL break through this season. With LeDee, the Skyliners could have a guy that will be one of their consistent scorers in the season while also grabbing many rebounds. He played his rookie season in the G-League and reached the NCAA final in 2023 with San Diego State University.

The Skyliners are also very deep and talented at the guard position. Going into the season, they have 3 players with BBL experience with Garai Zeeb, Will Christmas and Marcus Domask. Zeeb is going into his 7th season with Frankfurt and has 147 BBL games under his belt. He is a great team player that will give effective minutes form the bench. Christmas is like a mini Cinderella story. He began in the Pro B and via Luxemburg reached the BBL and became a solid player player. He fills the stats sheet and is a consistent scorer while Domask already had a short tour of duty last season with Frankfurt. He is another versatile player that has G-League experience and showed last season that he needs no adjustment time to the BBL. The club also added 3 more guards with 2 with no experience overseas with Logan Johnson and Isaiah Swope and Nahiem Alleyne who has experience in Greece and Poland and played at 3 NCAA schools including UConn and Virginia Tech. Johnson is probably one of the more interesting signings as he is the point guard and will run the team. His dunking and athleticism may stand out, but he knows how to lead a team a she showed as a rookie with the Oklahoma City Blue averaging 10.7ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.7apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 25.6%, FT: 76.1%. Isaiah Swope is a rookie and showed at 3 schools in the NCAA that he could adapt to any coach averaging 16/3/3 in his last 3 years. He is quick and gets to the hoop well. This could be Malik Parsons’s 2,0. Alleyne is a great shooter that averaged 38% from down town in 3 years at Virginia Tech. But as a rookie overseas had growing pains. The gritty defender is hungry for his overseas break through in Frankfurt. The Skyliners also have 2 talented young Germans with Ivan Crnjak and Jamie Edoka who had solid Pro B seasons in 2024-2025 and are planned for the main BBL rotation. However this Skyliners roster is talented and deep. The question is will they anything besides garbage time minutes this season?

So what will be the fate of the Skyliners this season. The excitement is massive simply because Klaus Perwas is the head coach from day 1 of a season. He has been known for being a coach who prides his team to play defense. One saw that philosophy under Gordon Herbert and with Denis Wucherer in the Pro A. It will be interesting to see how he wheels and deals with the offense. The club definitely have offensive weapons and should score much on a consistent level and it will be interesting to see how well the players are able to identify and accept their roles. The team has valuable shooting players but a team also with big men who finish at the paint. One can only hope they become more than just a shooting team. With the athleticism, the team should play fast as well. The team should be an above average rebounding team and sky is the limit at the defensive end. The club has many hungry players that will want to produce and have to not only execute on the offensive end. The Skyliners aren’t the only club with many new players, but there are so many other teams with the same scenario with new players. The question is always how well can these new guys get integrated to the easyCredit BBL and how well can the coach develop that correct team chemistry. The Skyliners have many guys with LeDee, Swope and Johnson where the potential to be successful is great. That is one of the exciting aspects to every season. Can some of these BBL newcomers break out or will they be flops. The Skyliners schedule in the first month is difficult to evaluate as it is hard to rate how well an Oldenburg and Ludwigsburg will play as they have many new faces. However MBC and Braunschweig are teams that have had success recently and won’t be cake walks. A good start to a season is always beneficial. Predicting where the Skyliners will finish is never easy. However I will bold enough to say that they won’t be 17th or 16th in May 2026. I see this team being a club that could be one on of the surprise teams this season, if many things go right and they aren’t hit by the injury bug. I see them somewhere from 8-14. It is finally time again for the faithful Skyliners fans to have joy again. The suffering in the last years simply has been to long There is that famous phrase on the US 1 $. In God we trust. Skyliner fans should etch ‘In Klaus Perwas we trust’.

American Guys Like Joe Asberry Elijah Allen And Omari Knox Are Just As Much Responsible For Helping German Basketball Development With Their Training Of German Kids

Joe Asberry is a legend. He is an American ex professional basketball player that really has seen it all from crime to drugs, but also played against legends like David Robinson (215-C-65, college: Navy), Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and Brian Shaw and was teammates with German legendary player Christian Welp. He had a 11 year professional career that saw him toil around in the minor leagues of Germany, but he belonged to the best in his day at that level. Since retiring from the game, he has been a spokesperson for young kids and drug prevention, guest speaker, worked in the Alba Berlin organization, been a master of ceremonies for UBC Hannover and been a mentor for young Americans coming overseas trying to live the dream of being a professional basketball player.Currently he is in his second season with the Artland Dragons organization coaching girls U-14 and U-16 and boys U-18. A big focus in his basketball life in Germany has been working with kids. Not only keeping them out of trouble and being an excellent role model, but also teaching them the game. He sees joy in a young German kid having success on the court just as much as he does seeing Steph Curry bury a three pointer for his home town team Golden State Warriors. There is probably no other American in Germany now that has worked as long with kids as he has. He has been following and been involved with the rise of German basketball just as much as German coaches who have worked endless hours helping kids develop. But all in all, it isn´t only Germans and Joe Asberry who have contributed to the youth development but so many other Americans. How often do you see an American from the BBL to the Oberliga help coach youth teams? It is everywhere especially with lower level teams where Americans have so much free time on their hands, why not give a hand with guiding the kids? “Guys like Elijah Allen (194-PF-1989, college: NW Missouri St.), Omari Knox, Levi Levine, Ronny Weihmann, Andrew Jones, Coach Omar Sylla (just to name a few) have been training youth here for YEARS! Teaching them how to be shifty,and play like PRO´S, instead of ROBOTS, who CAN´T create their own shot. My guy Misan Nikagbate, (yes,the same beast who played for the National Team) has been training kids daily since 2017! Everytime I call Misan,I say,”Can I speak to the Gentleman, that Dunked on Yao Ming Please”? So yes, I saw this coming, that Germans were on the Road to Success”, laughed Joe Asberry.

Of course Joe Asberry followed the magical run of Germany the last weeks and even if he will always root for his home land USA, he is proud of the success of German basketball.

“As an American, I´m thrilled that Germany won the Euro Chip. It means more kids will fall in love with the sport. I´ll give myself credit for helping a Gang of kids here in Germany, fall in Love with Basketball. When the National Team wins ANY American,doing basketball business in Germany WINS”, warned Joe Asberry.

Joe Asberry has seen his share of titles in USA and Europe and has a very special connection to Germany´s surprising win in 1993 over Russia.

Back in 1993, I got a shot at Pro Basketball in the Second Division in Finland. So when my dawg,Big Chris Welp won his chip, it was a special feeling. I was so happy for him. When he played for the Golden State Warriors he gave me money to take back to my hood in the Bay to get everyone hammered, and that´s exactly what I did. I flew from Tampere to San Francisco, and told my dawgs, the big fella won a chip, CHEERS! “, stressed Joe Asberry.

Would it have been crazy to have predicted a Gold medal before the tournament started? With the success of German basketball in the last years, would it have been Ok to predict a Gold or been more unrealistic?

“I´m sure all German Fan´s thought their Team was going to win Gold. Dennis Schroeder is a Beast! Mo and Franz Wagner are REAL LIVE Dogs. Daniel Theis plays basketball like a Grown ass Man! Bonga was the X factor. He doesn´t get enough credit for his Defense. With that wingspan, he can guard 1 thru 5. Those are the stars, but that team is Stacked”, said Joe Asberry.

It was the 2 best teams in the tournament with Germany and Turkey at 8-0. Was this the top final compared to the 1993 final vs Russia and 2023 final vs Serbia?

“1993 has special meaning for me, because of my Boy,Big Welp, but this Team is unreal. On that last shot, I knew Schroeder would get to his spot and cook, he is so quick and shifty, at that moment, he would have cooked,ANYBODY,in the WORLD”, warned Joe Asberry. Big words from him, but Asberry has seen it all and Schroeder would even have cookeda Victor Wembanyama. And why not his killer instinct would have also gotten him over that tree of a player.

The final game was a real dog fight with Turkey leading by as much as 11 points and being very strong. Germany´s key to winning the chip was one that every team dreams of having.

“Germany won that Gold Medal because of their Team Chemistry! They put away their ego´s to WIN together”, added Joe Asberry.

There has always been talk about the intense mentality, great team character and togetherness of Germany the last years. How does one keep developing it and not losing it over time?

“The best way to keep that Chemistry, is to keep them all together, now they just have to add one more piece, my Boy,Kevin Yebo, another Real Live Dog”, stressed Joe Asberry. The love for Kevin Yebo will always be there from Asberry. Asberry discovered him and watched him move from the Regionalliga to the Euroleague.

There was a time in the 80s and 90s where you said in German football and after 90 minutes Germany always wins. I feel like there is this mentality now in German basketball. I personally was never fearing a loss in the fourth quarter even when Turkey was up by 6 points.

“Osman and Bona are Elite. Sengun is on his way to becoming a Superstar. Shane Larkin is ELITE ELITE. I was just praying Schroeder and Wagner save the day, and Schroeder saved the day”, smiled Joe Asberry.

What was key down the stretch that Germany could win the game. How much of a factor was the deep bench of Germany?

Germany´s bench is deep, but to me the key down the stretch was Schroeder and Wagner. Dennis Schroeder just looks so comfortable with that ball in his hands, and he won´t just chunk up a wild shot to be a hero, he makes the winning plays for his Team”, stated Joe Asberry. I would always give Larry Bird the ball any day and for Germany it´s simply Dennis Schroeder. That´s a fact.

But not only was Dennis Schroeder a massive factor for the success, but also Franz Wagner. The Berlin native was already incredible 2 years ago in the World Cup win, but he is on his way to becoming extra special.

“Franz Wagner is unreal. At that size,with his skillset,the sky is the Limit. When you learn hoops from a Legend like Juwan Howard, you CAN´T GO WRONG! He´s already a star in Orlando, and he is getting better by the minute. Humble Superstar”, warned Joe Asberry.

Joe Asberry dunking back in the day!

Isaac Bonga continues to grow as a player since coming back from the NBA? Shouldn´t a tournament like this and especially how his game has developed the last 3 years give him another NBA opportunity?

“Issac Bonga is qualified to play on ANY NBA ROSTER! That man is a BEAST”, added Joe Asberry. I´m sure he will be in the NBA in 2026 and latest in 2027 when He and Germany win the Gold Medal at the Olympics.

You either like or dislike Dennis Schroeder, but he came up big in the second half after being closed down well in the first half. How does one explain his unbelievable ability to be able to turn around the lever and play like a winner when his team needs it most?

Dennis Schroeder is one of the best players in the World! With success comes Hate. People judge that Man, and they have ZERO Clue who he is. They have never had a conversation with him. I have inside info though. My man Big Dia, my boy Dami,Ant Watkins, Yebo, all told me he is a good dude. Last but not Least, Coach Livio Calin, (who let me get 1000 makes in,when everyone else was afraid of me, and calling me crazy) gave Schroeder a chance in Braunschweig, and believed in him. Coach Livio told me DS is a good dude, so DS,is a GOOD DUDE! So I´m one of the Fans that LOVES HIM TOO”, warned Joe Asberry.

I have never understood that despite showing the last years what an incredible leader he is for Germany, he gets overlooked by NBA teams and has been a journeyman? Do NBA bosses have the wrong perception of him?

Yes, NBA bosses have this perception that he´s arrogant. I heard that from a reliable source. The thing is, when they cut you, or trade you, its all good. But when Dennis Schroeder turned down the Laker deal, they all probably got in their feelings. What they DON´T UNDERSTAND is that Schroeder can NEVER LOSE! He represents Alte Waage! Nobody wants to talk about the Racism he went through in that town. Again, THANK YOU COACH LIVIO”, stressed Joe Asberry. Braunschweig will always be home for Dennis Schroeder and he is giving back by helping the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig continue to make strides as an organization.

Dirk Nowitzki has been the GOAT of German basketball for more than 15 years. With the World and Euro won, Is Dennis Schroeder at Nowitzki´s level in terms of being in the same category as him?

“You can´t compare Dirk Nowitzki and Dennis Schroeder, they´re two different breeds of beasts! It´s always a matter of Opinion. Big Dirk is my Goat, but I´m biased. I´ve had conversations with him, and I´ve never met a guy who was at one time, the best basketball player in the World, and can yet be so nice, and so Humble. He put a NBA Team on his back, and won a Chip. 7 Footer with a Sweet Jay, and we all know that the World has copied his fadeaway off one leg. When my WNBA All star Big Leni masters the “Fall Away Dirky” she will be the next superstar in Germany, no pressure though! LOL”, laughed Joe Asberry.

One of the big winners for Germany and the tournament was Alan Ibrahimagic who went from assistant coach to Euro head coach winner. Even if he allowed a winning combination bunch of guys play their game, he still had to make key decisions on the sideline.

Salute to Coach Alan. It´s not easy to deal with basketball stars, and their ego´s so to get them all on the same page, is the sign of a Great Coach”, commented Joe Asberry.

There were some nice plays in the final like Isaac Bonga´s dunk or Franz Wagner´s mega block. It was no surprise to me what Joe Asberry´s favorite play was.

“My favorite play was Dennis Schroeders Dagger Middy. I made a living off of Dunks and Middy´s so I was thrilled, watching that sweet jay, splash through the net”, said Joe Asberry.

“Can one compare Germany´s success now with Spain from 2006-2011 where it won a World Cup and 2 Euro championships. Does Germany have a dynasty?

“German Basketball is HOT! If they beat the Americans and win a Gold Medal in the Olympics, I`ll cry and Dive head first into the Rhine River, please, Pray for me Miles LOL”, stressed Joe Asberry. I definitely will pray for you, but I wouldn´t mind seeing you jump into the Rhine River. It definitely is cleaner than 30 years ago.

Will the dynasty go on. The future still looks good with a nucleus of the Wagner brothers, Tristan Da Silva, Andi Obst, Isaac Bonga and Isaiah Hartenstein plus the new wave of guys like Ivan Kharchenkov, Hannes Steinbach, Johan Grunloh, Christian Anderson and others. Does Germany have the mentality to keep it going with the new wave of players that you have seen the last years?

Germany has the chance to keep getting better, if the young guys continue to put in the Work”, warned Joe Asberry.

You coach young men and are right there seeing the work and effort. Often now adays the talk is young players aren´t as hungry as back in the day. In other words players today aren´t challenged enough with too many outside influences. What makes young German players different than young players from other countries in this generation? Does the typical German discipline play a role?

“I think the biggest challenge for young German players is Gym time. If a Club doesn´t have constant access to the Gym, then the players will spend way too much time, playing with their phones, instead of Hooping. I can´t speak for other country´s but I know for a fact, American players have access to a Gym,24/7 All of my guys who are Coaches and Trainers stateside, hold all of their players accountable, if they don´t LISTEN, they get CUT”, warned Joe Asberrys.

Is there perhaps a different mentality in Germany? USA always have talented young kids, but how do you see the general mentality and hunger of young American players in 2025?

“The Mentality of American players is different a lot of times, because of the Conditions. That dawg Mentality comes from not having anything, and you want something out of your life, so Basketball becomes the ticket, to have a better life. That´s not something you can Coach. That gives players a slight advantage for sure. On the other hand, kids growing up here in Germany also have an advantage. They can focus on hoops, without a lot of the extra shenanigens in their neighborhoods. It´s just different”, warned Joe Asberry.

So does this Euro title scare team USA? I guess the big showdown will be in 2027 at the Olympics. Germany will be looking to win, but USA will have different players than at the 2024 Olympics. Will Team USA win their next Gold medal?

I´m sure that Team USA will win Gold Again. There are just too many Elite athletes,

with size, incredible skillsets, dawgs, I could go on and on. Then again, I`m a Proud American, who balled in the Michael Jordan era, if Team USA loses, they should all be cut from their teams, and have to start their Career´s over in Helsinki Finland, so they can learn to appreciate NBA Basketball. Shout out to Helsinki though, I loved it,but then again, I`m a Pro Hoop Misfit, who´s claim to fame, is DUNKS, and saving kids LIVES! LOL! I appreciate you Miles”, stressed Joe Asberry. Well I´m sure Finland would love to have some NBA stars in Finland, but honestly the Olympics is USA´s cup of tea. They won´t allow Germany to spoil their party.

Being An Actor Like His Dad Was Never On Nicolas Kodjoe´s(FC Bayern Munich 2) Menu As Being An Athlete Was Simply His Calling

nicolas with dad Boris at the U-19 World cup in 2025

Having Hollywood actors and Actresses have their offspring follow in their foot steps is nothing unusual. It definitely happens. From the top of my head, it doesn´t get any better than the father son duo of Kirk Douglas and Michael Douglas who´s careers have spanned more than 80 years. But there are others as well like the family trio of legendary actor Martin Sheen and his sons Charlie and Emilio Estevez who have been gracing the big screens since the 80´s. Some other father and son and daughter duo´s include Sean Connery and Jason and Don Johnson and Dakota. But not all sons and daughters follow in the foot steps of their parents. For example last season Dragons Rhondorf fan Arne Westor told me a real scoop about one of FC Bayern Munich 2 talents Nicolas Kodjoe (198-F/G-2006). I love knowing these fine tidbits for my basketball play by play. He had mentioned to me that his dad Boris was a well known Hollywood actor best known for the TV series Seattle fire fighters. But not only dad Boris is in show business, but also wife and mother of Nicolas Nicole Ali Parker is an actress who played in the 1997 movie Boogie Nights with Mark Wahlberg. But Nicolas didn´t do what Charlie Sheen or Michael Douglas did and take the acting route. Nicolas´s love became basketball. “ I never wanted to act or be a model, It just never appealed to me more than being an athlete”, stressed Nicolas Kodjoe.

Pic credit: FCB Bayern Basketball

Nicolas Kodjoe who spent quality time with family in New York this summer and lists current Boston Celtic Jordan Walsh as his toughest opponent so far was born on Halloween 2006. He grew up in Los Angeles and played at Southern California academy. He has the German citizenship, on account of his dad having a German mother. He began palying for German youth national teams starting in 2022 and right away picked up a Gold medal at the U-16 Euro averaging 4.1ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg. “There are so many great memories from that tournament. The celebration after winning was pretty great. My role then was to be mainly a defensive player, my role now was to be 3 and D, with the ability to catch and drive”, stated Nicolas Kodjoe. In 2024, he won 2 medals first at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany (Unofficial World Championship U18) winning the Bronze playing 7 games averaging 1.4ppg, 2.7rpg and a few months later won the Gold at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket in Tampere (Finland) averaging 4.8ppg, 2.2rpg. Winning 2 Golds in a span of 2 years was a massive achievement for him. “It was super gratifying to win back to back golds with the same group of guys”, remembered Nicolas Kodjoe. He spent 2 summers in Germany winning Gold medals, but wasn´t the only guy flying in from the States. His teammate Christian Anderson of Texas Tech was also doing it. Despite only being with the squad for a short time during the summers, a bond still was able to form. “After our first win back in 2022, everyone stayed in great contact with each other. Even though everyone went their separate ways, we still remained close. So the last tournament we were a very very close family”, warned Nicolas Kodjoe.

Pic credit: FIBA

The athletic forward who lists Lebron, Jordan, Kobe, and Magic on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore decided to come overseas and played the 2024-2025 season with the FC Munich 2 team that competes in the Pro B and also played with the NBBL (U-19) team. He definitely has learned how to win with the youth national teams and also did with FC Bayern Munich U-19 team. After 3 tries, FC Bayern Munich finally captured the title, the first since 2019. “ The guys had told me about the year before and their final 4 exit. It was a great feeling to help bring a title to Munich”, said Nicolas Kodjoe. He was mainly an energizer short of player from the bench, but stepped up big from the bench scoring 11 points over Vechta. He also had a very solid first Pro B season averaging 4,4ppg, 2,8rpg and 1,1apg. He did his best in the minutes he got always trying to make an impact in any way at both ends of the court. “This year showed me what works and what doesn’t. Especially against grown men. My physicality and aggression is my biggest growing point”, said Nicolas Kodjoe. He couldn´t name 1 player who had the biggest impact on him. All were crucial in him being able to make the adjustment smoother. “Everyone had a unique impact on me, it wouldn’t be right to say just one person. Everyone was crucial to making me feel at home and welcome. But in a way, he has to have a special relationship with roommate Ivan Kharchenkov who is balling at Arizona (NCAA) this season. Did his killer instinct rub off on him? “The most important lesson I learned from Ivan is to not shy away from who you are, play your game, and make everyone see you”, said Nicolas Kodjoe. He didn´t decide to go the NCAA route like so many, but will return back to FC Munich to keep developing in Bavaria. “My biggest goal this year is to help bring this team to the playoffs. My aggression and downhill attack will be on a higher level this year”, warned Nicolas Kodjoe.

Pic credit: FIBA

After winning the NBBL (U-19) title, his winning ways didn´t end in 2025 as in less than 2 months, he helped the German U-19 team win the Silver medal at the World Cup. “This year was a great year of growth for me”, added Nicolas Kodjoe. Germany had some start problems against Slovenia, but then played with discipline at both ends reaching the final. “With every game we played we grew much more disciplined and in control. Maintaining control was one of our keys to winning with each game we played. Maintaining control under any circumstances”, remembered Nicolas Kodjoe. It must have been very enriching for the team being able to play so consistent as a team against so many different countries. “It just proved how much chemistry and balance we have as a team. Our history together really showed in those moments”, expressed Nicolas Kodjoe. Germany had to battle the aggressive and annoying USA and held their own for a half, but then fell apart in the second half. He definitely knew what he was up against as he had played against some of them and trained with them. The athleticism of USA was simply too much for Germany. “The depth that USA had was tough to compete with, their athleticism was brought out because of how rested everyone on their team stayed”, remembered Nicolas Kodjoe. The talent level of Germany was high, but the talent level of USA was maybe a tick higher as there were future NBA draft picks with Dybantsa, Peat and Brown. One of these 3 had the biggest impact on him. “Koa Peat was super fundamental and composed throughout all 4 quarters”, stated Nicolas Kodjoe. With all the medals that he has won, where does the Silver one rank? “This silver ranks 2nd in level of importance”, said Nicolas Kodjoe.

2025 NBBL in Berlin

The forward who names Lebron James as his GOAT has been playing with the same guys now for 3 summers and he has seen them develop and now exactly where the path of Christian Anderson will go. “Chris has an amazing work ethic, skill, and loves to compete. He’s played and will continue to play on the biggest stages if he keeps improving. I believe he will be an NBA player within the next couple of years”, warned Nicolas Kodjoe. Watching big man double double monster Hannes Steinbach do his thing was enriching and he will have to watch from afar as the ex Wurzburg player will be playing for Washington (NCAA) this season. “Hannes’ size and touch around the rim already put him in a very high position. His fight and competitiveness is what puts him even higher”, added Nicolas Kodjoe. He also saw the incredible leadership skills of Alba Berlin guard Jack Kayil flourish. “Jack is a very unselfish guard, he knows where to find you. It’s very fun to play with someone like that”, said Nicolas Kodjoe. Despite only playing 4 games at the U-19 World Cup and 11 minutes less than in the Pro B, his professionalism is huge. Guys like Janne Muller, Tom Stoiber and him had to fight for minutes. His mindset and discipline is already at a high rate. I “I love to play, I want to play, but at the end of the day it is the coaches decision, and I have to live with that”, stressed Nicolas Kodjoe. Even if he didn´t play heavy minutes, the whole experience on and off the court was enriching for him at the U-19 World Cup. He experienced a lot including seeing Dirk Nowitzki in the crowd. “My coolest moment off court was just having downtime with the team, either playing ping pong, or just hanging with the guys. Dirk has been a friend of my father since before I was born, he’s a great person to be around”, warned Nicolas Kodjoe. But nothing will be more special than having that unique brotherhood with 7 guys that began to win at the first tournament in 2022.” No doubt, we will definitely be brothers for years and years to come”, stressed Nicolas Kodjoe.

Florian Flabb Believes That Dirk Nowitzki Built The Foundation And Dennis Schroeder Led The Group That Climbed To The Very Top Of The Mountain

Pic credit: FIBA

Florian Flabb is a German coach who currently is coaching Pro B team Orange Academy and the ratiopharm Ulm NBBL team He began his coaching career as an assistant with the Art Giants and then was a head coach with the NBBL and Pro A team. He also has been an assistant coach with the German U-18 and U-20 teams. He spoke to germanhoops.com about the success of German basketball.

Thanks Florian for talking to germanhoops.com Germany is Euro Champion 2025. What kind of a feeling does this give you involved with German basketball?

It’s an incredible and historic moment for German basketball. Winning the World Cup in 2023 was already a milestone, but becoming EuroBasket champions in 2025 cements Germany’s place among Europe’s elite. This achievement reflects how far the program has come – from simply aiming to reach the knockout stages to now competing with and defeating traditional powerhouses. The team’s success is built on leadership from Dennis Schröder, the versatility of the Wagner brothers, and a remarkable team chemistry. I hope this title will inspire a new generation of players and spark a true basketball boom in Germany.

Is it crazy to have predicted a Gold medal before the tournament started? If you had to guess how many German basketball fans out of 10 would have predicted the Gold before the tournament how many would it have been under your estimation?

It wasn’t crazy, but definitely bold to predict gold before the tournament. Germany entered as World Champion, yet with strong rivals like Greece with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Turkey with Alperen Sengün, Slovenia with Luka Doncic, and Serbia with Nikola Jokic. If I had to estimate, I’d say about 3 out of 10 German basketball fans would have confidently predicted a gold medal beforehand. Most probably expected a podium finish – silver or bronze – while seeing a second consecutive major title as more of a dream than a realistic expectation.

It was the 2 best teams in the tournament with Germany and Turkey at 8-0. Was this the top final compared to the 1993 final vs Russia and 2023 final vs Serbia?

Wow, that’s a really tough question — mostly because I was only two years old at the time! My memory from back then is mostly bottles and nap times, so I can’t give you a first-hand comparison. But looking at the numbers and highlights, Germany and Turkey both coming in 8- 0 made it feel like a true clash of titans. Compared to the legendary 1993 win over Russia and the 2023 World Cup final vs. Serbia, this one was probably the highest level basketball Germany has ever played — even if toddler-me had no idea it was happening!

How did you experience the final. The game was a real dog fight with Turkey leading by as much as 11 points and being very strong. What got Germany the Gold medal after 40 minutes.

Looking back now, that final was nothing short of epic. It was a real dogfight right from the tip-off. Turkey came out incredibly strong, using their size and physicality to set the tone, and at one point they were up by 11 points. Their half-court execution and rebounding really had Germany struggling to find their rhythm early on. What ultimately won Germany the gold medal was the depth and balance of their roster. While Turkey leaned heavily on a few star players, Germany kept coming in waves. No matter who was on the floor, the energy and intensity never dropped. This allowed them to maintain their blistering pace, wearing Turkey down as the game went on. By the fourth quarter, you could see the difference: Turkey’s legs were heavy, while Germany was still flying up and down the court, moving the ball quickly and finding open looks. Their team chemistry and collective belief turned the tide. Over the final minutes, Germany’s depth overwhelmed Turkey, and that relentless team effort sealed one of the most hard-fought victories in German basketball history.

There has always been talk about the intense mentality, great team character and togetherness of Germany the last years. How does one keep developing it and not losing it over time?

It all comes down to culture and leadership. Veterans and coaches have to live those values every single day, setting the tone for all players. Dennis Schröder, as team captain, embodies that role perfectly — he’s the emotional leader and sets the standard with his work ethic and competitiveness. When someone like Tristan da Silva, a young NBA player, joins the squad, he immediately sees that environment and understands that no one is bigger than the team. This clarity makes it easy for new players to buy into the system. The group has created such a positive atmosphere that even established NBA stars describe the national team as a “Klassenfahrt” — a school trip — because they genuinely enjoy spending time together. It’s become a place where everyone wants to be in the summer, which is rare at the international level and a huge reason for Germany’s continued success.

There was a time in the 80s and 90s where you said in German football and after 90 minutes Germany always wins. I feel like there is this mentality now in German basketball. I was never fearing a los in the fourth quarter even when Turkey was up by 6 points.

Back in the 80s and 90s, people said in football, “Am Ende gewinnen immer die Deutschen” — in the end, Germany always wins. Today, that same winning mentality defines German basketball. Even when Turkey led by six points in the fourth quarter of the EuroBasket 2025 final, there was no panic — just trust and belief. Germany’s strength lies in having so many players who can step up, always putting the team’s success over individual performances. Back-to-back titles have built a calm, relentless confidence that Germany will always find a way to win.

What was key down the stretch that Germany could win the game. How much of a factor was the deep bench of Germany?

Down the stretch, the key was Germany’s depth and relentless pace. While Turkey relied heavily on a few stars, Germany kept sending out fresh lineups without losing quality or energy. That constant wave of players allowed them to push the tempo, forcing Turkey to defend at full speed while their own legs started to tire. In the final five minutes, this depth really showed. Germany could switch lineups, keep the defensive intensity high, and still find players ready to make big plays — not for personal glory, but to execute perfectly as a group. The bench wasn’t just a factor — it was the decisive advantage. It allowed Germany to stay aggressive, wear Turkey down, and ultimately close the game with the same speed and precision they had started with. That’s why, when it mattered most, Germany looked fresher and more composed, sealing another historic gold medal.

How valuable was Franz Wagner for this tournament. How is he a better player now than in 2023 despite 2 years of more experience?

Franz Wagner was invaluable to Germany’s EuroBasket 2025 run. He wasn’t just a scorer — he was the engine that kept the team’s fast-paced style running smoothly. His versatility allowed Germany to play position less basketball at times, switching seamlessly between roles on offense and defense. Compared to 2023, Franz is now a more complete player. Two more years in the NBA gave him sharper decision-making and a deeper understanding of when to take over and when to facilitate. Back in 2023, he was already a rising star, but at EuroBasket 2025 he played like a true leader, reading the game perfectly and elevating his teammates. What makes him special is that his growth hasn’t been just about individual stats — it’s about making Germany’s team game stronger. His improved defense, court vision, and maturity turned him into the ultimate connector, the kind of player who makes everyone around him better while staying completely committed to the group’s success.

Absolutely. Isaac Bonga has been one of the quiet success stories of German basketball over the last few years. Since returning from the NBA, he’s transformed his game — becoming more confident offensively while still being that versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. At EuroBasket 2025, his impact was huge, even if it didn’t always show up in the box score. He brought defensive stability, length, and energy, and his improved shooting and playmaking gave Germany even more lineup flexibility. He’s exactly the type of glue guy every coach loves — someone who makes winning plays without needing the spotlight. Given how his game has evolved over the past three years, it’s hard to imagine NBA teams not taking notice. A tournament like this proves he can thrive at the highest international level, and with his skill set and size, he definitely deserves another shot in the league — this time as a more mature and complete player.

You either like or dislike Dennis Schroeder, but he came up big in the second half after being closed down well in the first half. How do explain his unbelievable ability to be able to turn around the level and play like a winner when his team needs it most?

Dennis Schröder is one of those players who thrives under pressure. You either love his style or you don’t, but you can’t deny his impact. In the EuroBasket 2025 final, Turkey came in with a clear game plan — they double-teamed him constantly, cutting off his driving lanes and trying to frustrate him. Instead of forcing bad shots, Dennis showed his maturity and leadership. He focused on getting his teammates involved, using the extra attention on him to create open looks for others. This unselfish approach kept Germany’s offense balanced and wore Turkey’s defense down. Then, in the second half, when the game was on the line, he flipped that winner’s switch. With Turkey tiring, he started picking his spots, pushing the pace, and attacking when the moment was right. His ability to read the game, stay patient, and then take over when needed is what separates him from most players. Dennis Schröder has shown over the last few years what an incredible leader he is for Germany. The key isn’t just his talent, but how brilliantly the German coaching staffs has used him. They’ve built a system that maximizes his strengths — his speed, playmaking, and competitive fire — while surrounding him with players who perfectly complement his game. What really stands out is how the entire team has bought in. Every player accepts their role and trusts Dennis as their leader. Whether he’s being double-teamed and creating for others, or taking over in crunch time, the group follows his lead without ego or hesitation. That level of acceptance and togetherness is rare at the international level. It’s why Germany has been able to play as such a unified, unstoppable unit, turning individual talent into collective success — and why they’ve built a golden era for German basketball.

Dirk Nowitzki has been the GOAT of German basketball for more than 15 years. With the World and Euro won, Is Dennis Schroeder at Nowitzki´s level in terms of being in the same category as him?

Dirk Nowitzki will always be a legend, not just in Germany but globally. For more than 15 years, he carried German basketball on his shoulders, inspiring a whole generation and showing that a German player could be a true NBA superstar. His impact went far beyond medals — he changed the game and the perception of German basketball forever. Dennis Schröder’s path is very different. He hasn’t had Dirk’s NBA dominance, but on the international stage, his résumé now speaks for itself: World Champion in 2023 and EuroBasket Champion in 2025, both as the unquestioned leader of the team. So while Dirk remains the GOAT, Dennis has earned a place right beside him in the national team’s history. Dirk was the trailblazer, the icon. Dennis is the floor general who turned Germany’s potential into historic team success. You could say Dirk built the foundation — and Dennis led the group that climbed to the very top of the mountain. They’re different types of legends, but they now share the same elite category in German basketball.

One of the big winners was your colleague Alan Ibrahimagic went from assistant coach to Euro head coach winner. How valuable was his input? What do you believe could he still give a team that already had all the pieces of being a winning team?

Alan Ibrahimagic’s rise has been one of the great stories of this tournament. Going from assistant coach to leading Germany to a EuroBasket title is an incredible achievement, but it’s not just about winning — it’s about how he handled everything around him. In a brutal, high-pressure atmosphere, where scrutiny and second-guessing are constant, Alan never made it about himself. He kept everything regarding his own role quiet, shielding the team from outside noise. His selflessness and humility allowed the players to stay locked in on what truly mattered — playing their game and chasing gold. Germany already had the talent and depth to be a championship team, but Alan provided the calm and focus to bring it all together. He managed personalities perfectly, emphasized speed and ball movement, and created an environment where every player felt valued. By filling his role perfectly, without ego or drama, he gave the team exactly what it needed: a steady hand and a clear vision. That approach was crucial, especially when Germany fell behind by 11 points in the final against Turkey. His leadership kept the group composed, and ultimately, it helped turn talent into a historic championship run.

There were some nice plays in the final like Isaac Bonga´s dunk or Franz Wagner´s mega block. What was your favorite play of the final?

Oh, there were so many unforgettable moments — Bonga’s dunk that brought the bench to its feet, Franz Wagner’s monster block that completely shifted the momentum — but my favorite play was actually a lot less flashy. It came late in the fourth quarter when Germany was up by just two points. Turkey tried to trap Dennis Schröder near half court, but instead of forcing the action, he calmly swung the ball. Within seconds, it touched four different players’ hands, ending with a wide-open three from the corner. It was the perfect example of Germany’s unselfishness, depth, and speed — five guys moving as one unit, trusting each other completely. That play summed up why Germany won gold. It wasn’t about one hero moment, but about a team working in perfect harmony, making the right basketball play at the most important time.

Can one compare Germany´s success now with Spain from 2006-2011 where it won a World Cup and 2 Euro championships. Does Germany have a dynasty?

It’s a very fair comparison. Spain’s golden era from 2006 to 2011, when they won a World Cup and back-to-back EuroBasket titles, was built on incredible talent, depth, and a shared identity. What Germany has achieved now — World Champion in 2023 and EuroBasket Champion in 2025 — is starting to look a lot like the beginning of a similar dynasty. The ingredients are there: a deep roster with multiple NBA players, incredible chemistry, and a winning culture where everyone buys into their role. What makes Germany especially dangerous is that so many of their key players — like Franz Wagner and Tristan da Silva — are still very young, while experienced leaders like Dennis Schröder and Daniel Theis are setting the tone. To truly match Spain’s run, Germany will need to sustain this level through the 2027 World Cup and EuroBasket 2029. But right now, they’ve created an environment where every summer feels like a “Klassenfahrt” — a place where top players want to come back, compete, and win together. This dynasty should go on.

The future still looks good with a nucleus of the Wagner brothers, Tristan Da Silva, Andi Obst, Isaac Bonga and Isaiah Hartenstein plus the new wave of guys like Ivan Kharchenkov, Hannes Steinbach, Johan Grunloh, Christian Anderson and others. Does Germany have the mentality to keep it going with the new wave of players that you have seen the last years?

Germany has laid the foundation for something truly special. Winning the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 EuroBasket has put them at the very top of international basketball, but the real challenge now is staying there consistently. The current core — Franz and Moritz Wagner, Tristan da Silva, Andi Obst, Isaac Bonga— has proven what it takes to win: a group built on selflessness and unity, where no one plays for individual glory. They’ve created a place where players genuinely want to return each summer. The next wave is coming fast, with young talents like Ivan Kharchenkov, Hannes Steinbach, Johan Grünloh, and Christian Anderson ready to join the program. But you can’t predict how these big talents will develop over the next few years. It takes more than skill — injuries, mindset, role acceptance, and team chemistry all have to come together to keep this incredible level of success going. If the core group manages to pass down their winning mentality and the young players embrace the culture, Germany has every chance to remain among the world’s elite. It’s not a dynasty yet, but the pieces are in place — now it’s about sustaining the hunger and making sure the next generation carries the torch forward.

That’s a very tough question. It’s easy to say that today’s young players aren’t as hungry or as challenged as they were “back in the day,” with so many outside influences and distractions, but I think the situation in Germany is a bit different. Over the last decade, Germany has invested heavily in the entire ecosystem around basketball — not just facilities and gyms, but also coaching, youth development programs, and sports science. Young players are surrounded by an environment that teaches them professionalism early on and gives them the tools to grow, both on and off the court. We’re starting to see the results now. Players coming through the system understand what it takes to compete at the highest level, and they have role models like Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, and Isaac Bonga showing them the path. Of course, you can never fully predict how young talent will develop, but these investments have created a culture where the hunger to succeed is nurtured, and the focus stays on the team and the game itself, rather than the distractions around it.

Thanks Florian for the chat.

Robert Allen (Reale Mutua Basket Torino) Took The Words Show Them What You Want To Be Known For And Ran With It

Robert Allen (206-F-2000, college: N.Texas, agency: Elevate Sports Alliance) is a 25 year old 206cm forward from Orlando, Florida playing his second professional season and first with Reale Mutua Basket Torino (Italy-Serie A2). Last season he played his rookie season with Unger Steel Gunners Oberwart (Austria-BSL) averaging (21.3), RPG-1 (11.2), 2.1apg, SPG-5 (1.7), FGP: 55.0%, 3PT-2 (41.6%), FT: 72.2%. He began his basketball career at Edgewater high school and then played 2 seasons at Samford University (NCAA) averaging 9.9ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 56.7%, 3PT: 27.7%, FT: 65.5% and 14.1ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.4apg, 1.1spg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 48.4%, 3PT: 28.8%, FT: 65.0%. He then played 3 seasons at the The University of Mississippi (NCAA) and then latched on a season at the University of North Texas (NCAA) averaging 7.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 55.9%, FT: 66.3%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Robert for talking to germanhoops.com. Your playing your first season with Reale Mutua Basket Torino (Italy-Serie A2) and your second overseas. What kind of an experience has Italy been for you?
Italy has been an amazing experience so far. The city as well as Italy as a whole is such a beautiful place. My team has been more than welcoming since my arrival. There are always things that you have to adjust to when you are an American coming into a new country and a player coming from a new team but that is something that comes with life and is very normal. It’s a totally different environment from Oberwart, and it’s truly everything I prayed for. I have been enjoying my stay here so far and have been able to explore the city a little

How blessed are you to be living in a city like Torino. Is a big culture shock to Orlando where you come from?
I am more than blessed for the opportunity to live in Torino. God has placed me in a city that has so much history behind it as well as its city like but not too crowded in a sense. There are a number of things that are different between Orlando and Torino but nothing that is a true culture shock. Mostly because Europe as a whole is different from Orlando. If I had to pick anything I would say their rules and roads when it comes to driving a car has been a little difficult but I am getting the hang of it.

You had a great rookie season in Austria and now are playing in one if not the top second league in Europe. How confident are you that your game can translate to the A-2 league?
I am highly confident that my skills will be able to translate in this highly ranked league. I believe I was placed here by God and If he made this one of my stops on this journey then I am meant to be here. I work hard, I love learning the game and I push myself to the max and that helps me to keep elevating my game. Lastly, I play with fire in me and a drive like no other and I think that separates me from others.

Your teammates with skilled American Macio Teague. What has it been like being his teammate? Could you 2 guys be that 1-2 punch that will carry the team to success?

Macio is a great player and an even better teammate, it has been great playing with someone who works as hard or even harder than me. On the court we need everyone in order to do big things in this league, that’s why basketball is a team sport. I can say that our present will be impactful to our team’s success.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 206cm forward. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?
I do not really watch the NBA so I do not have a comparison for you.

You’re a guy that can fill the stat sheet well. Have you always had that versatility in you or was that developed at the many NCAA schools that you played at?

I think it was always in me but it took me time to truly embrace it. There are often times coaches will put you in a box and only pull your strongest ability out of you that will help the team win. Throughout my college career that was the case but it was a blessing in disguise. Everyone wants to score the ball but it showed me there are other important things that impact winning other than putting the ball in the basket. It allowed me to strengthen my abilities in those categories. Which now has led to be me being like you said a person who can fill a stat sheet

You shot a lot of three’s at Samford, but then little at Ole Miss and N Texas and then a lot in Austria again. Was it tough not shooting many three’s for some years and then doing it again last season? How would you describe the development of your outside shot?

It was a hard transition for me. Going from a coach who wanted me to shoot at Samford to coaches who did not want me to shoot at Ole Miss and north Texas. It can be a tough mental battle when you know you can do something on the court but you’re being held back by your coach. Most coaches would label it as the way they created their teams. Therefore, they had players who were better three point shooters than me, which was true. At the time it wasn’t my strongest ability but it could be done. I let that motivate me honestly to keep working everyday on my own time. Just because I was not using my shot at the time, I knew it was a skill I could add to my game to make me a better player. Before I left for Austria a Vet pro player told me ‘ this is your chance to reinvent yourself, they don’t care what you did in college, that is what got you there. Go out there and show them what you want to be known for’. I took those words and ran with it, it was my chance to break out of the box. I kept working on my shot and different aspects of my game on my own time and when it was my time to shine. I didn’t hold back

Talk a little about the development of your defensive game. How would you describe your game now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?

Defense was different from offense for me. It was something that came to me naturally. Being able to read the plays and understand how to defend the basket was naturally easier for me to understand. Un-like offense, I had to work day and night to get where I am now. I know that I am a good defender but there is always room for improvement. I want to become an ELITE defender, one who can do any coverage no matter the team or level of competition. A player who can defend all positions making more of a valuable and versatile player

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to improve your game?

I work on all parts of my game because I want to become an all around player, that is what is going to allow me to stand out and continue to elevate in my career. If I had to pick a few, it would be finishing around the basket. My wide post game and my shot 2s and 3s. As well as reading the court better on defense.

Last season you played your rookie season with the Unger Steel Gunners Oberwart (Austria-BSL) averaging (21.3), RPG-1 (11.2), 2.1apg, SPG-5 (1.7), FGP: 55.0%, 3PT-2 (41.6%), FT: 72.2%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

I don’t know if I understand your question exactly but i will answer it to the best of my ability.
I do not think there was ever just a wake up call when I was a rookie that was like wow I’m far from home. When I got on that plane and left America I knew what I was coming to Austria to do. I understood and accepted all the sacrifices that came with the Job. My goals were already set and the fight began on the first day of practice. Now did I know I was going to play as well as I did NO but everyday I woke up I prayed to God for strength in order to keep chasing my vision he places on my heart.

You won the double in Austria and beat BBC Nord in the final. What was so special about this team last season?

I think we were just all focused on the same goal and that is what made us different from everyone else. No matter what was going on we all knew we wanted to win the championship. That was going to be the only way the season ended. It was a long season for sure and we did not want to waste any time at all. Therefore we all knew that in order to get as much rest and end the season the right way we had to win every series 3-0 and that’s what we did.

How special was teammate Quincy Diggs for you? That guy has it seen it all. Was he like a mentor for you?

Quincy is such a cool dude man, his presence on that team was a game changer, he is the type of dude that brings a team together and that is exactly what he did for us. When we needed it the most.

You began your NCAA career at Samford (NCAA) in 2018 and played 2 seasons averaging 9.9ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 56.7%, 3PT: 27.7%, FT: 65.5% and 14.1ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.4apg, 1.1spg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 48.4%, 3PT: 28.8%, FT: 65.0%. How valuable were these 2 seasons in your basketball development? How did your game grow there?

Honestly I feel like those seasons were more valuable mentally for me than it was to my game itself. It was like a wake up call , when I actually believed that I could play pro if I took basketball seriously. Those seasons ignited the first step of me truly believing in my basketball abilities. During my time at Samford I was just having fun with life. I was grateful to get out of Orlando and had the opportunity for basketball to be a way for me to get my college paid for.

You had many great games at Samford like scoring 23 points against VMI. What was your fondest moment at Samford?

My fondest moments at Samford weren’t even on the court. It was the time I got to spend with my teammates. Our team was like a family, we did everything together. That was the first time I really experienced something like that. Therefore just being able to play with them and enjoy the entire journey was my fondest moment. From the long bus rides to the hard losses. I enjoyed every second of it.

You then played at the University of Mississippi (NCAA) from 2020-2023 reaching the NIT Sweet 16. How tough was it going from playing a lot at Samford to having a lesser role? What did you learn from this experience?
It was a big challenge for me. I didn’t really understand the overall thought process of basketball because before I was just playing for fun and free education. It took me some time to understand everything but I was not going to give up. I found a way to get on the court my first year at Ole Miss and started playing more. My mind set at the time was to make sure I was prepared because my time was going to come and I knew I was going to be ready for it and did. My second year I was understanding it a lot more than my first year at Ole Miss. When I felt like I had finally got the ins and outs of the system I got injured. I tore my acl mcl and post lateral corner. Therefore throughout my years at Ole miss iIwent through a lot but I’m grateful for every step of the way. It made me who I am now. Throughout that journey I learned who Robert Allen really is and who he wants to be in life. I learned the amount of sacrifice it will take to fulfill the dreams I desire. I learned how to listen to my body more. Lastly for me that was the beginning of my rebuilding my relationship with God.

You then finished at the University of North Texas (NCAA) averaging 7.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 55.9%, FT: 66.3%. You reached the NIT Sweet 16. What memories do you have of that run? You scored 13 points against Tulane.

Not much at all for real, I just remember that my college career was coming to an end and I was going to play as hard as I could these last few games

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Moullaye Sissoko

Of course I did lol

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in the NCAA that reached the NBA?

I can’t remember

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Thats a hard question but Josh Sharkey ( samford) Anferene Simons ( Edgewater high school ) Matthew Murrel ( Ole Miss) Tye Fagan ( Ole Miss) Ziggy Reid ( Gunners)

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore (5 best players ever)?

Michael Jordan , Steph ‘Curry, Lebron , Dennis Rodman , Giannis

Who is your GOAT?

Giannis

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?

I did not see it.

Thanks Robert for the chat.

German Hoops

Covering Basketball In Germany!

football

Despite Being Shot Twice Rookie Toru Dean Overcame All Odds And Is Showing His True Point Guard Skills With The TSV Bargteheide BEES

Nate Watson(Panionios Athens) Can´t Be Content With His Game Now But Needs To Keep Working Hard And Improving To Reach The Euroleague One Day

Tomas Bjarkason Isn´t Only A Leader But Another Swiss Army Knife With SC Rist Wedel

Lincoln Rosebush Is A Swiss Army Knife That Is Ready To Lead SC Rist Wedel To Success

Could This Be The Best Pro A Season Ever For The EPG Baskets Koblenz? Why Not?

In Klaus Perwas We Trust As Could This Be The Season Where The Skyliners Finally Make The BBL Playoffs Again?

American Guys Like Joe Asberry Elijah Allen And Omari Knox Are Just As Much Responsible For Helping German Basketball Development With Their Training Of German Kids

Being An Actor Like His Dad Was Never On Nicolas Kodjoe´s(FC Bayern Munich 2) Menu As Being An Athlete Was Simply His Calling

Florian Flabb Believes That Dirk Nowitzki Built The Foundation And Dennis Schroeder Led The Group That Climbed To The Very Top Of The Mountain

Robert Allen (Reale Mutua Basket Torino) Took The Words Show Them What You Want To Be Known For And Ran With It