World and European champion Dennis Schröder has promised the Braunschweig Lions basketball team that he will return—and even wants to bring one or two national players with him.
“I’m coming back. I want to bring another championship to Braunschweig, which has never happened before. That’s a big incentive for me,” said the captain of the national team on Thursday on the NDR program “DAS! Rote Sofa.”
Schröder was born in Braunschweig in 1993 and played there until he moved to the NBA in 2013. Daniel Theis, who previously played alongside Schröder in Braunschweig, is also expected to join him. “I’m taking him with me, now he has no other choice. He wants to be there too. Let’s see who else we can get from the national team,” said 32-year-old Schröder. Schröder will play for the Sacramento Kings in the upcoming NBA season. Theis (33) moved to AS Monaco in February after eight years in the NBA.
Sports hall to be named after Schröder
On Friday, however, another dream will come true for Schröder: first, a sports hall in his hometown will be named after him, then a reception will be held at the Old Town Hall. “I couldn’t have asked for more from the mayor. It’s a great feeling,” he said.
In the future, the gym at IGS Franzsches Feld will bear his name. “That’s where I went to school. It’s an extremely great honor,” he said. After the official reception, Schröder will be celebrated by fans on the balcony of City Hall in the afternoon.
Schröder also spoke about his youth in Braunschweig. Although it was “a great time,” he also experienced a lot of racism. “That was part of it. It was hard for us back then, but we got used to it at some point because we didn’t know any different. It was what it was. Basketball helped ease that a bit,” Schröder said.
