Even when Serbia managed to defeat Germany to win the bronze medal, it seems the spirit of German players did not shatter. Including them is their star, Dennis Schroder, who sent a strong message to the United States of the challenge Europe is going to pose them in the time to come. He’s not wrong to pose a mild threat their way. After all, Team USA was suffering until the fourth quarter against Serbia in the semi-finals just two days ago.

Right after the conclusion of the bronze medal game, Schroder interviewed with BasketNews and did not hesitate to point out how close Team USA came to losing the chance of securing their fifth consecutive Gold Medal. By highlighting how different points of focus are being adopted by American and European Basketball, the Germans believed that it wouldn’t take long for the latter to overtake.

“European basketball is more… I need to be careful with it,” said Schroder when looking at how to best frame his statement. “European basketball is no entertainment. It’s straight IQ basketball. Straight coaching. It’s filled with really, really high-IQ players who know how to play the game. Teams like Serbia, Greece, Spain, France, and Germany—there are so many teams that know how to play and are athletic.”

He further added, “Of course, the NBA is the best league in the world, but Europeans are coming for sure.”

Schroder’s remarks came after the duo of Nikola Jokić and Bogdan Bogdanovic had put up an efficient offense against a crew comprising LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, etc at the Semi-Finals. By the time halftime approached, the USA was trailing by 43-54, the largest deficit ever suffered by the US when going against Serbia in the Olympics.

By shooting 10-19 in that time frame, the Serbian squad made it difficult for Team USA to shoot. The situation hadn’t improved by the time the fourth quarter started, with Serbia leading 76-63. However, with Stephen Curry scoring a majority of his 36 points, with some major assistance from LeBron James, the US squad pulled off a last-minute miracle and took home the win. Serbia’s performance was praised from many corners of the basketball world, including by some NBA fans from back in the US. This fact is what probably irked Kevin Durant, as seen when he got into a debate on X with ‘Nuggets supporters.’

The rise of European players is certainly making headway. While the previous generation only had a handful of international stars like Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker making waves in the NBA, the basketball enthusiasts of today find the ‘new face of the NBA’ itself in names like Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokić, etc.

Players hailing from the ‘New World’ have gone on to win over 19 medals in the Olympics, 19 in the FIBA World Cup, and established their presence as common household names. Plus, they’re leading their own franchises. As Americans no longer have that “advantage” on basketball anymore, Europeans are truly proving to be a tough competition to the ‘Egoistic’ players that Dennis Schroder had long come to be displeased with.

Dennis Schroder believes that some “egos” need to be kept in check in the “best league”

Despite having devoted over four years to the NBA, Dennis Schroder has been unable to achieve any memorable accolades. Neither has he been named to any All-Star team, nor has he managed to stay more than one season with a franchise. Things were different when playing for the German National Team, as he was named the flag-bearer for his country, and averaged over 31.4 minutes during the Olympic run. Furthermore, the player himself indicated feeling better on the national level, since the focus was on teamwork, and not individual benefit.

During a recent interview with Andscape, the 30-year-old stated, “It’s just the NBA, first off. It’s the best league in the world. But I have a lot of confidence, as people know. But when you have such trust from your coach and your teammates, it’s a different feel when you play. The last five years I played with such great players, Hall of Famers. And of course, they told me to get into my stuff. But the NBA got a lot of egos and a lot of individual stuff, individual basketball and people looking at their numbers.”

Schroder saw a big difference between the NBA and FIBA after noticing that his minimal points did not matter as long as the team would win. There would be little to no comparison about individual contributions or prowess. In contrast, it would be rare for the German to see NBA players with just “eight points or nine points.”

“People are willing to sacrifice and are willing to put winning first instead of their own points,” Schroder continued.

Team USA still has a big European team, aka France, to beat before they can claim the Gold Medal for themselves. In just a few hours, it will be known how tough of a fight the host country gave the visitors.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.