Sports athletes often show proficiency in multiple sports apart from their specialized ones. Dennis Schroder added himself to that long list of multi-talented sportspersons when he made his soccer debut in May. The reigning FIBA World Championship MVP played for the German lower league side, FC Germania Bleckenstedt as a left winger in a losing effort. But as things turned out recently, there is someone as good as him who also excels in multiple sports, almost besting Schroder at his own sport.

The humbling experience came courtesy of his fellow German superstar, Toni Kroos. He recently announced his retirement, leaving Luka Doncic in a somber mood. But the former soccer star I starting his new project and linked up with Dennis Schroder at the Lanxess Arena in Germany over the weekend. The occasion was the launch of Kroos and influencer Elias Nerlich’s Icon League. Kroos, known for his deadly accuracy with his feet, put his hand to the test against the Nets guard in a 3-point contest and nearly came out victorious.

In a video shared by Overtime FC, Schroder is seen sinking 3 of his 5 efforts compared to 4 from the former Real Madrid midfielder. The footage went viral and even Gilbert Arenas reacted to it with two fire emojis, showing his excitement about the venture. But a major part of the fans were left stunned to see this ending in this cross-sport clash.

Fans react to Dennis Schroder’s 3-point battle with Kroos

“Guy lost at his own sport”, a fan poked at Schroder’s supposed shortcoming. No matter the friendly nature of the competition, the video did no help to boost Schroder’s reputation as a 3-point shooter. The 30-year-old has a history of struggling from beyond the 3-pts arc with a career success rate of only 34.2% in the league. Last season his 3-point shooting saw a marked improvement with the Nets but as the footage shows, he’s still some way off from attaining an elite shooter status.

Disputing the posted video, a few fans claimed, “ITS Fake there both took 15 shots and Dennis won”. This piece of information brought out the actual truth about the event. According to German news outlet, Braunschweiger Zeitung, both of them attempted 15 shots with Schroder scoring 9 compared to Kroos’ 6. This saves the face of the NBA fraternity, as it could’ve been a calamity for them in their social media banters against the soccer enthusiasts who have started bragging already.

“Correction soccer players are good at everything”, a fan said. This statement has some truth to it, as soccer players have excelled in other sports. England’s FIFA World Cup-winning player, Sir Geoff Hurst, played county cricket. Paolo Maldini, one of the best defenders of all time, transitioned into a tennis career later on. Ivan Perisic represented Croatia in both soccer and volleyball international tournaments. Former Barcelona manager, Luis Enrique, also was a revered marathon runner who ran in 3 separate races between 2006 and 2008. Seeing the video, a fan even asked for Kroos to jump into the basketball court as a pro.

“toni kroos to the brooklyn nets here we go”, commented a fan. The Nets franchise are in a rebuilding process this season with draft picks in hand. They’ll surely add multiple names next season, and the possibility of Kroos being one of them can be binned already. At 34, the physical demands of the NBA life are enough to dissuade him from the thought in favor of enjoying a comforting retirement. So no, Schroder and Kroos won’t be teaming up in Brooklyn, no matter the fantasy idea.