Without NBA master Isaiah Hartenstein, the German national basketball team goes to the medal mission at the upcoming European Championship.
The center of Oklahoma City Thunder is not part of the 16-member expanded squad of the world champion for the European Championship (August 27 to September 14), which the German Basketball Bund (DBB) released on Monday. Hartenstein (27) justified the cancellation with the consequences of the exhausting season in the North American professional league, in which he had won the title as the second German after Dirk Nowitzki.
Hartenstein with Achilles tendon problems
“I very much regret that I can’t play for the national team this summer. But I now have to take care of the cure of my Achilles tendon problems. I wish the team every success with the Eurobasket and will of course watch the games”said Hartenstein, who last played for the DBB selection in 2018.
Hartenstein’s priority is the NBA
Hartenstein had recently emphasized that he would generally like to play for the national team if the situation permits. However, his priority is on the NBA. At the beginning of June, when the season was still running, national coach Álex Mumbrú had said: “I want him to be there. He knows that too. I have already visited him in the USA, we are talking to each other often. But he will only decide when the season is over. It was very long for him.”
Schröder, because Silva and Franz Wagner
From the NBA are captain Dennis Schröder (Sacramento Kings) and Franz Wagner and Tristan da Silva, Moritz Wagner (all Orlando Magic) missing due to a cruciate ligament tear. The world championship team from 2023 also includes Isaac Bonga, Justus Hollatz, David Krämer, Maodo Lo, Andreas Obst, Daniel Theis, Johannes Thiemann and Johannes Voigtmann. Is new college-The player Christian Anderson, who recently won silver at the U19 World Cup.
The goal is a medal
At the European Championships, Germany meets Lithuania, Sweden, Great Britain, Montenegro and the Finnish hosts in the group phase of Tampere, the Ko round is in Latvia’s capital Riga. After EM bronze 2022, World Cup gold 2023 and fourth place at the 2024 Olympics, a medal will be the goal again at the first tournament under Mumbrú.
The squad still has to be reduced
The national team meets on July 29 in Munich and traveled to the training camp in Málaga the next day. The national coach has to reduce his squad to twelve players shortly before the tournament start.
The extended DBB squad at a glance
Dennis Schröder (Sacramento Kings), Franz Wagner, Tristan da Silva (both Orlando Magic), Andreas Obst, Johannes Voigtmann, Leon Kratzer, Justus Hollatz, Oscar da Silva (all Bayern Munich), Johannes Thiemann (Gunma Crane Thunders/Japan), David Krämer (Real Madrid), Isaac Bonga (Partizan Belgrade), Maodo Lo (most recently Paris Basketball), Daniel Theis (most recently as Monaco), Tim Schneider (Veltex Shizuoka/Japan), Nelson Weidannn (Ratiopharm Ulm), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech University)))