When you think of Germany and sports, football is immediately what comes to mind. Winning four FIFA World Cups and eight Olympic gold medals can do that, and German footballers are among the most sought after talents by the top teams in Europe and in other parts of the world.
Recent years, though, have shifted the focus to basketball.
Germany exceeded everyone’s expectations when they took down Australia, Slovenia, Latvia, USA, and Serbia, among others, on the way to winning the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Led by NBA players like Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner, the Germans put on a clinic by balancing team basketball and leaning on their stars in critical moments. It was the same formula that nearly helped them topple the Olympic hosts France the following year, and in EuroBasket 2025, it’s safe to say Germany isn’t reinventing the wheel.
Montenegro were a taller and more physical bunch led by Chicago Bull Nikola Vucevic. It was obvious that Montenegro was going to try and wear down the Germans. But when you’re comfortable not just with the system, but also with those around you, it’s much easier to overcome any obstacle ahead. And it was only a matter of time until Schroder took over.
So far, it’s been continuity and a certain level of intensity that has become the theme surrounding this German squad. Even with head coach Alex Mumbru sitting out due to an acute infection, Germany remained unfazed and it’s clear Mumbru has been able to lay down the foundation with this squad. It helps that the German Basketball Federation hired Mumbru right after Gordie Herbert’s tenure with the national team ended so they had a little over a year to prepare for EuroBasket 2025.
Moreover, keeping the same core players in Schroder, Wagner, Daniel Theis, Isaac Bonga, Andreas Obst, Jo Voightmann, Johannes Thiemann, Justus Hollatz, and Maodo Lo has helped lessen the teaching and put more emphasis on refining. The German Basketball Federation has done a great job in getting the buy-in of these players. While strong results help, the federation’s efforts are not lost on the players, who want to represent the country especially when the federations pull out all the stops to ensure the success of the team.
We’ve seen Germany rarely letting up as Schorder remained in the game even when the outcome had already been decided, heading to the bench for good with 2:37 left in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Wagner saw some action in the fourth quarter and was rested with 7:28 left in the win over Montenegro. That should certainly boost team morale, but the Germans will have to be more measured as the breaks in between games can be few and far between.
Germany will have a day off before taking on Sweden and we can expect them to come out with the same energy they had to kick off EuroBasket 2025. They’ve had no trouble fending off some early challenges and it’s clear that championship experience will make the Germans one of the teams to beat.
