Germany announce star-loaded 18-man World Cup squad
HAGEN (Germany) - Germany have announced a star-studded, 18-man preliminary squad for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. All 12 members of last year's FIBA EuroBasket team are among those included.
HAGEN (Germany) - Germany have announced a star-studded, 18-man preliminary squad for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
All 12 members of last year's FIBA EuroBasket team in Berlin, where Germany clinched third place, have been named along six other uber-talented and experienced players. Five NBA players are on this list.
Gordie's 18 für den Start ins Trainingslager 🔜
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Among the standouts of last summer included are Dennis Schroder (22.1 points per game), Franz Wagner (15.2 points per game) and Andreas Obst (11.6 points per game), as well as front-court stars Daniel Theis, Johannes Voigtmann, and Johannes Thiemann.
Schroder, who spent this season with the Los Angeles Lakers, served as captain at the EuroBasket and was sensational, ultimately earning a spot in the All-Star Five.
Germany coach Gordie Herbert will have tough choices to make because players not in the EuroBasket squad that have been named in the 18 are Tokyo Olympians Isaac Bonga and Moritz Wagner, as well as Maxi Kleber, Oscar Da Silva, Leon Kratzer, and David Kramer.
Kleber (Dallas) and Moritz Wagner (Orlando) compete in the NBA while Bonga (Bayern Munich) has done so in the past.
Kratzer was a big part of Telekom Baskets Bonn's Basketball Champions League-winning campaign and is currently in the German BBL Finals, while Da Silva is on the books of Barcelona and competing in the Spanish playoffs.
Kramer was one of the best players in Germany's European Qualifiers campaign.
"We have a great group coming to the training camp," Herbert said. "Everyone shows great commitment. Each of these players wants to represent their country at the highest level. It's an honor for all of them to play for Germany. I'm really looking forward to continuing. We're playing for a medal at the World Cup."
Germany will have an excellent roster, yet getting out of the First Round of the World Cup will be an enormous task.
Herbert's team was drawn in arguably the toughest of pools, Group E, with Australia, Finland and Japan. The games will be played in Okinawa, Japan.
The World Cup tips off on August 25 in Okinawa, Jakarta and Manila, where the Final Round will be played.
FIBA