Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rokas Jokubaitis, and Johannes Voigtmann: The number of absences at the European Basketball Championship is growing. A 2023 world champion is speaking out about the hectic schedule.
Basketball world champion Justus Hollatz has lamented the hectic schedule in his sport in light of the recent injuries at the European Championships. “The issue is not new, but at some point we have to reach the point where we can’t go on like this: there are too many games, we are being burned out,” wrote the FC Bayern Munich player in his column on the club’s website.
In addition to German co-captain Johannes Voigtmann (knee surgery) and Lithuanian Bayern newcomer Rokas Jokubaitis (severe ligament injury), Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic is also out for the rest of the tournament. “We’ve lost two players in one day, so to speak. That leaves a bitter taste in our mouths,” complained Bayern pro Hollatz, referring to the injured Voigtmann and Jokubaitis.
Hollatz: “Our team was physically dead as a doornail.”
The number of games in European basketball has been steadily increasing for years. The Euroleague will be expanded to 20 teams for the new season, which will result in even more games. The 24-year-old is also critical of a European Championship with 24 teams, mainly because of the lack of quality among the smaller teams. The European Championship feels “bloated,” Hollatz wrote.
The playmaker recalled the recent finals against Ratiopharm Ulm. Bayern narrowly prevailed with a 3-2 victory and secured the championship title with great effort. “Our team was physically exhausted in the finals after more than 80 games,” Hollatz described.
