NBA clubs can’t compete with Germany, national team star and Raptors guard Dennis Schroder says after upsetting Team USA in World Cup: ‘This is the best team I’ve played on’
Dennis Schroder has taken a closer look at all the former NBA teams he ever played for after helping the German national team upset Team USA in the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup.
The 29-year-old guard, who signed with the Raptors this summer, raised a few eyebrows when asked where he ranks Team Germany among all the teams he has ever played for in his 11-year NBA career so far. , after Friday’s victory over the Philippines.
“I think this is the best team I’ve ever played on, whether it’s the NBA or the national team,” Schroder said. BasketNews.
If Schroder really meant his comment, it would mean he believes the German team is better than the Lakers, whom he parted with last season prior to free agency.
Los Angeles fell in this year’s Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets, the eventual NBA champions.
NBA star Dennis Schroder has claimed he played for a better team than the LA Lakers
The 29-year-old Schroder labeled the German national team as ‘the best team’ he has ever played for
That Lakers team was built around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It also had impactful role players in Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell after a pair of midseason trades at the deadline.
Schroder, who now has a two-year, $26 million contract with Toronto, currently plays with Mo Wagner, Franz Wagner and Daniel Theis – all NBA players – on Team Germany. He previously suited up for the Thunder, Hawks, Celtics and Rockets.
Guard Andreas Obst led Germany past the U.S. with his tournament-high 24 points and six assists on Friday, including a clutch 3-pointer to build a comfortable lead before fending off a late rally by the Stars and Stripes.
Wagner added 22 points, while Theis, a power forward for the Pacers, contributed 21 points to lead Germany to their first-ever World Cup final.
Schroder will play for the Lakers during the 2022-2023 season. He is now a guard for the Raptors
Germany shockingly defeated Team USA 113-111 in the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup on Friday
“We played well on defense, we ran around and we stayed mentally strong from the first to the last man,” Obst told reporters.
According to FIBA, Friday’s match was the highest-scoring tournament match since 1994.
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards led the United States with 23 points and eight rebounds. Fan favorite Austin Reaves provided a spark off the bench, scoring 21 points.
“The biggest thing about the loss was that we were never able to get them to sense us defensively,” Team USA head coach Steve Kerr told a news conference.
Team USA, ranked second by FIBA, will face Canada for third place on Sunday. They finished seventh, their worst ever result at a major international tournament, in the 2019 edition.