Franz Wagner (L) of Germany dunks in the FIBA Basketball World Cup semifinals against USA at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, the Philippines, September 8, 2023. /CFP
Germany will play Serbia for the FIBA Basketball World Cup title at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, the Philippines, on Sunday night. It's their first appearance in the tournament's final. They eliminated the formidable USA 113-111 in the semifinals.
When asked what their secret is, Armin Andres, vice president of the German Basketball Federation (DBB), told Xinhua News Agency that youth development has been behind the team's rise in the World Cup.
When Germany secured the close 81-79 win over Latvia in the World Cup quarterfinals, their ace Dennis Schroder performed so badly that he nearly became a liability on the court, missing 22 of his 26 field goals (FGs). However, Andres said he wasn't concerned about it at all.
Mado Lo (R) of Germany shoots in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Round of 16 game against Slovenia at Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan, September 3, 2023. /CFP
"Schroder didn't perform well in that game, but we had other players stand out," Andreas said. "Like Franz Wagner. He missed four games because of injury, but he took over right after he came back.”
Germany struggled for years after their greatest player, Dirk Nowitzki, retired from the national team in January 2016. They missed the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and failed to reach the Round of 16 in the FIBA World Cup in 2019.
"I believe now we are in top four in the world," Andres told Xinhua. "By having a player like Nowitzki, we had a spot on the top stage, but we need to raise more good players."
Franz Wagner (R) of Germany shoots in the FIBA Basketball World Cuo semifinals against USA at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, the Philippines, September 8, 2023. /CFP
Four on Germany's 12-player squad in the World Cup come from the NBA: Schroder of the Toronto Raptors, Franz and Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic and Daniel Theis of the Indiana Pacers. However, Andres credited the team's remarkable performance to the efforts of domestic teams.
"German clubs are the foundation for the development of young players," the DBB VP said. "They have been doing a great job in the past 10 years. Players only work with the VBB for five to six weeks a year. Whether the clubs have good coaches and a working selection system, that what matters the most."
Andres revealed that every club in the top league must have their own youth team. Every youth team must have three to four professional coaches who are paid well because "good coaches are necessary for good players to grow."
Isaac Bonga (#0) of Germany blocks a shot by Jalen Bruson (#11) of USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup semifinals at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, the Philippines, September 8, 2023. /CFP
"We have a complete system in which youth teams keep a close connection with schools," Andres told Xinhua. "Every team pays attention to the prospects in school. We believe that a player's career begins from school."
The VBB added a transition team between the senior team and the under-20 team. "We realized that it takes years for U20 players to join the senior national team, so we added the U23 or U24 team," Andres said. "This will enable the players who are not good enough for the senior team to refine themselves in international competitions. We hold training camps like this every year to give players opportunities to play more games."
The DBB VP stressed the importance of international exchange to youth development in basketball. "We are open to player exchanges," Andres said. "I think it's good if foreign players want to come to Germany. We can help each other. Such exchanges are very important in Europe. We have that with both Serbia and Spain."
"Not everyone has to go to college in the U.S.; we have a lot of good schools and programs and provide great environments to players in Germany," he added. "We welcome Chinese players to come as well."