In his first time at the Olympics, Dennis Schroder is doing what he did for Germany during their undefeated FIBA World Cup campaign. The flashy playmaker is the focal point of the system, bringing everyone together. His critical impact was even recognized by the nation, making him the flag bearer for the Paris event. The 30-year-old has responded by playing like an MVP. But why couldn’t he ever reach that status within the NBA?

According to him, it’s because of the lack of camaraderie and the presence of egos. Even when he had a few reservations, Schroder does regard the NBA as the “best league in the world”. But it is also an individual league, more than a testament to teamwork in Schroder’s eyes.

“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,” he told Andscape.

Unlike FIBA competitions, the NBA is a prominent business that is responsible for catering to the desires of millions of fans. That’s one of the many reasons the pace of the game has increased, the offense has imploded and players are the essence of a team. It’s also why players don’t get many opportunities. Schroder himself lost tremendous value when he signed a $5.9 million deal with Boston only months after rejecting an $84 million extension with the Lakers.

Due to some bad performances, he dropped down the pecking order, going from a starting point guard to a part of the bench unit.

“For me or for us, the German national team, it don’t matter if I score two points or Franz [Wagner] scores four points and we win the game. We are happy about the win. And in my career, my 12 years [in the NBA], I probably seen one or two years where people was happy when they had eight points or nine points and won the game. So, I think that’s the biggest difference of FIBA and the NBA. People are willing to sacrifice and are willing to put winning first instead of their own points”, he explained. 

FIBA settings prioritize synergy, where the players are merely means to a bigger goal – winning. In that pursuit, every player is seen as an equal, and can freely express their emotions. Something Schroder feels he can’t do in the NBA.

“Here, they are really coachable and I can get on somebody’s butt and say, ‘Oh, listen, you are [playing poorly].’ But in the NBA, it’s sensitive. You got to be really wise with your words to the players. And here sometimes when it’s emotional I scream and people understand it’s coming from a good place and they’re not taking it the wrong way,” said the German PG.

Dennis Schroder could claim Olympic MVP honors

In the NBA, Dennis Schroder might be seen as a complementary component. But with Germany, the 30-year-old plays with the vigor of a star. His flamboyant display has seen him and his teammates achieve incredible glory with the national side. It included beating Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, where they won the gold.

Schroder was named the most valuable player in the competition. Now, a year later, Germany is in the semifinals against France, and Schroder is once again among the MVP favorites. Through four games, he has averaged 18 points and 8.8 assists while keeping the German team unscathed. Only two games separate them from winning consecutive international golds.

And Dennis Schroder is ready for it all. He is part of a rare group of players to dethrone the mighty USA. If he withstands the hosts’ test, Schroder will have the opportunity to do it twice. But this time, of course, it’s against the “Avengers” as he claims. Even then, he is backing his side to pull out another stunning victory against the odds.