PARIS (France) - Being a leader is not just shining bright on the court and enjoying the flashlights when you're winning. It's also about putting yourself in front of the team after a tough loss, as tough one as Germany suffered in the Third-Place Game on Saturday.
Serbia defeated them 93-83, spoiling the master plan Gordon Herbert introduced when he took over before the FIBA EuroBasket 2022. He wanted three medals in three years, they finished with two and another Semi-Finals appearance here.
While the players feel like this was Gordie's accomplishment, the coach will point the finger to the mastermind on the court. Dennis Schroder has been simply sensational for Germany since day one, but over the last three years, when Herbert made him the captain, he took it up to another level.
"I thought we were gonna have an hour long meeting, but we ended up talking for three. That's when I first thought this is the guy who should be our captain going forward," coach described their first meeting together in Braunschweig, Germany, Dennis's home town.
Dennis clearly enjoyed the ride together, as evident by his answers to questions from all over the world.
The first comment after the defeat to Serbia?
Everybody is obviously heartbroken. First and foremost we gotta thank coach for everything he's done for the German Basketball Federation, for the national team, he brought something to the culture. The enjoyment, the environment we had in the locker room - he created that. He started it three years ago.
In three years we got two medals. Of course, we wanted to win the third one, but we did something which nobody had done before. We really appreciate it. Obviously, everybody is unhappy right now, but we have to look forward.
What were the last three years like for you personally?
The last three years I played basketball I never played before in my whole career. Those guys in the locker room, no egos, everybody thinking about winning. Just high character guys, high IQ guys, talented obviously basketball guys.
The last three years coach made me captain as well. That's the biggest honor you can get. We showed that Germany is one of the best basketball countries in the world. We got two medals. We got the World Cup last year. We wanted to accomplish more this year, but sometimes in life you can't get everything you want.
Be better and come back next summer
We just gotta go into the summer, into the seasons, work even harder, be better and come back next summer. Try to go for something big again.
How tough was it to prepare for this game after a dramatic defeat to France in the Semi-Finals?
The France game, of course we could've won. We had our chances to win the game, but France gave it everything they had, they competed for 40 minutes, won the loose ball, rebounding, they did a great job. That killed our mood, to be honest. We thought that we were going to be in the Final. We embraced every single moment, but they played better than us.
France killed our mood
Today, we gave everything. I could've played a better game. I take that on me. I have nothing else to say, because I could've just played better, brought more energy. Just being a better floor general, making sure everybody is in the right places, yeah... That game is on me.
You arrived as one of the best teams. How are you leaving the Olympics?
Still as one of the best teams in the world. That's what I believe. I believe in my group. This year, until the Quarter-Finals, we were one of the best teams, but basketball sometimes is not going your way. At the end of the day, we'll just, everybody, watch film, get in the gym, get better, be with your family, enjoy your family, it's the most important in life, and come back next summer and give everything you have.
Coach Herbert is leaving the team. Do you think you'll have a say in the process of picking the next coach?
This is really hard to top. Coach did a great job in the last three years, bringing us together. Before the game, I heard that something is up already, so we had no say in that. I don't know. Tough question. They are gonna figure it out.
How important is getting the right person to succeed coach Herbert?
Really important. That's a really, really hard job to come into now, get in those footsteps. Last three years two medals, winning the World Cup, it's gotta be a guy who's born for it. But our group in the locker room, we have no egos, we'll always make sure we play the right way, and hopefully we'll have somebody who's like Gordie and help us keep going.
Are you still going to make yourself available for the national team next summer?
I said I'm gonna play until I'm 40. I'm playing until I'm 40 years old, that's my goal.
A lot of the guys on this roster are in their 30s now, what happens if they don't come back?
German basketball future is bright. The U18 team won the European Championship, Tristan da Silva just got to the League, Hartenstein - we still got a lot of young guys who can play.
Hopefully, my guys in the locker room, they'll all decide to come back and play. Because if I'm playing til 40, they can play until they are 37, 38 and make it special.
I love these guys. As always, just to come to the national team is just the best thing ever, besides my family. Just coming to practice every single day, getting after it and at practice, we're screaming, we're trying to compete against each other. I never had an environment like that. Hopefully we can keep this going for a lot of years.
After seeing a tournament so competitive, do you think the rest of the world is catching up with the United States?
European basketball is more... I gotta be careful here. European basketball is no entertainment. Straight IQ basketball, straight coaching, really high IQ guys who know how to play the game. Serbia, Greece, Spain, France, Germany, there's so many teams out there who know how to play, who are athletic, there's a lot of people from Europe in the NBA who make some noise. Slovenia, with Luka Doncic, one of the best players in the world. Of course, (the NBA) is the best league in the world, but Europeans, they are coming, for sure.
FIBA