Obst shines in the “hot” team
Basketball hero has the “best doping test of my life”
September 8, 2023, 7:01 p.m
It is a huge spectacle with a historic happy ending: the German national basketball team defeats the big favorites USA and reaches a World Cup final for the first time. Emotions boil over, the team celebrates itself – not even a doping test can prevent that.
The historic victory over the USA in the gripping crime thriller in Manila stunned Germany’s basketball players. The Wagner brothers Franz and Moritz hugged their euphoric parents in the catacombs, and captain Dennis Schröder sang great praise for his boys after reaching the World Cup final for the first time. “My team is extremely awesome. This is the best team I’ve ever had, regardless of whether it’s the NBA or the national team. Everyone is happy for each other. It’s just a good feeling,” said Schröder after the 113:111 spectacle against Olympic champion.
The Schröder generation can celebrate on Sunday (2.40 p.m./Magentasport, ZDF and in the ntv.de live ticker) against Serbia and give Germany their first World Cup title. “Historic,” wrote Chancellor Olaf Scholz on X, formerly Twitter, immediately after the end of the thrilling duel in which national coach Gordon Herbert’s team defeated the NBA star ensemble. The first World Cup medal since 2002 is certain, but the Canadian is not satisfied with that. “One more thing. Enjoy a little bit, then we have to be ready. We’re not yet where we want to be,” said Herbert.
While the US stars around Anthony Edwards and Austin Reaves, who was only almost naturalized in Germany, sneaked out of the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippine capital with gloomy faces, there was euphoria among their German colleagues. Led by Franz Wagner (22 points), who played like the young Dirk Nowitzki after recovering from injury, the most spectacular coup by a German basketball team was achieved. “It’s just so much fun with the boys. It’s just awesome,” said 22-year-old Wagner, who was instrumental in initiating the Manila sensation.
Andreas Obst, named player of the game, wrote after the game at X: “Best doping test of my life.” At the microphone at Magentasport he said: “It’s a good time for madness,” and there couldn’t have been a better time for the first success over a US team at a major tournament. “We knew from the start that the thing was there,” said Obst. “I don’t give a fuck if it was close. We won the thing.”
Wagner parents achieve cult status
After completing an interview marathon, Franz and brother Moritz Wagner met their parents Beate and Axel, who have long since achieved cult status at the World Cup. The Berlin family was overjoyed and hugged each other; the dream of World Cup gold lives on. “It’s really special for the whole family that we can continue to be in the tournament. It’s a great feeling. We’re definitely enjoying it a lot,” said Franz Wagner.
The long-distance journey, which began in mid-August on the Persian Gulf in Abu Dhabi and continued in Okinawa, Japan, actually lasts until the grand finale for the shiny trophy. Role players like Obst (24) and Daniel Theis (21) made the success over the top favorites possible with their extraordinary performances. Schröder contributed 17 points. “We’re not just Dennis or Franz. I had an incredibly good night, slept well. We had a goal in mind. If you’re in the semi-finals, then you want to win gold,” said Theis, with his power under the basket was elementary.
However, the celebrated team cannot enjoy the coup over the basketball superpower USA for too long, because almost 46 hours later Serbia is waiting for the former German national coach Svetislav Pesic in the final. “I wanted this final and it happened that way. I’m happy, now the better guy should win,” said the 74-year-old Pesic, who sensationally became European champion with Germany in 1993 and world champion with Yugoslavia in 2002. National coach Gordon Herbert commented soberly on the already huge success: “We’ll let the players enjoy it. But tomorrow it won’t mean anything anymore,” said the Canadian dryly. Dennis Schröder also enjoyed the moment. “Winning against the USA is very, very cool,” said the captain. His team was also “extremely cool,” but we had to look ahead quickly: “We still have one game left, we have to stay focused and play on Sunday against strong Serbs play.”
For the USA, it’s all about bronze on Sunday (10:30 a.m.) against the equally disappointed Canadians. Superstars like Stephen Curry and LeBron James were missing from the squad, but the ensemble was still considered the benchmark of the tournament.
Medal for sure
For the German team, however, it was almost irrelevant that the goal of a World Cup medal, which had already been set in July, was already perfect. For Herbert’s team, which was still flawless at the tournament, there is now only one thing left to do: defeat Serbia and add a corresponding finishing touch to what has already been an unforgettable summer. “We’ll sit together in the evening. But I don’t want to celebrate too much. It’s super awesome, but we still have a game,” said Johannes Thiemann, who once again didn’t miss a shot.
The team, at the heart of which is playmaker Schröder, has grown over several years. After the World Cup disaster in China four years ago, the Olympic ticket for Tokyo 2021 was the first step, followed by bronze at the home European Championships in Cologne and Berlin in 2022. Now there is something in it that even Nowitzki and Co. never managed: a title. “It’s a process that takes several years. It doesn’t happen overnight. There have to be shitty times when things don’t go well, when there’s friction for something like that to happen. I’m very, very grateful that I could be a part of it,” recalled Moritz Wagner.
Germany beat Japan, Australia, Finland, Georgia, Slovenia, Latvia and the USA in succession at the World Cup. It is already the best World Cup record of a German team. But the Schröder team is fighting for more than just sporting success. “It’s not just a victory, it means more for German basketball, for German sports culture. It’s an awesome sport. Being part of this wave that can advance the sport is a huge privilege,” said Moritz Wagner. The new success will be visible on Sunday: ZDF will broadcast Germany’s first World Cup final live. All seven previous games could only be seen in the stream on Magentasport.