In his 15-year-long career as a professional basketball player, Dennis Schroder has not had as much experience on the international stage as he has on the domestic stage. Therefore, the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics is nothing short of a big test for him. Alongside the German Team, the 30-year-old had his first taste of victory during the tournament by defeating Japan. Despite this good beginning to the tournament, Schroder couldn’t help but reminisce on the international opportunity he previously missed out on.

In the aftermath of the matchup against Japan, the point guard was questioned about how the Olympics stood different in comparison to the NBA. This caused him to state “It’s the biggest tournament in the world. My first one. Nothing changes when you play with those guys. In any competition, no disrespect.” When playing alongside the players from his own national team, Schroder was of the opinion that the competitive drive was something that was mutually shared amongst them. This is why the player reportedly regrets not getting himself included on an Olympics roster sooner.

“For sure. I wasted that one” said Schroder on not representing Germany during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “If I could take one thing back, it probably would’ve been to play in the Olympics. I’m here, and I’m going to take it day by day and take as many wins as possible to get to the ultimate goal.”

Initially set to be held in 2020, the Tokyo Olympics were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schroder, who was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at that point, had reportedly expressed his desire to be present for Germany during the tournament. Unfortunately, complications arose as the Lakers and the German Basketball Federation could not decide upon a deal that would cover the player’s financial insurance requirements. Being a free agent, the Lakers were only willing to offer the player a 4-year $84 million deal. Schroder wanted a contract in the $100-120 million area which, according to then DBB Vice President Armin Andres, was too big a burden for the German Basketball Federation to insure a future contract of that value. As a result, the point guard missed the Olympic qualifiers and his first chance to be a part of the Olympic team.

“I would have loved to have been there in Tokyo” said Schroder in an earlier statement. “It’s the Olympic Games, that’s pretty much the greatest honor for an athlete, and I’ve always dreamed of participating in the Olympics.”

While Schroder may have missed out on representing his national team earlier, the German team and fans now fully appreciate his presence. After a round of voting from fans and athletes alike, Dennis Schroder was selected as the first black man to be the Olympic Flag Bearer for Germany during the opening ceremony. Describing how it was sometimes tough for him to grow up in Germany due to his skin color, the 30-year-old described the honor as being nothing short of “insane”. If the player was happy to be finally here, then his recent performance showed that the country was equally appreciative as well.

Dennis Schroder shines during the winning matchup against Japan

As Germany and Japan commenced the recent Olympic matchup, Dennis Schroder took charge of the offense right from the start. Along with some major assistance from Franz Wagner, Andreas Obst, Johannes Voigtmann, and Daniel Theis, Germany was able to secure an early lead of 16-8. Unfortunately, Japan was able to catch up by the time halftime approached, by which point they were trailing by just 44-52.

Fortunately, Schroder and Wagner kept things going. Together, the duo secured 13 of the 22 points the team added to the overall score in the third quarter. By the time the game ended, the newest addition to the German Olympic roster had made 13 points, 2 rebounds, and an astonishing 12 assists within his first game! While his 6-12 field goals and 1-6 three-pointers indicated some missed opportunities, his total was enough to keep the momentum maintained, allowing a 20-point margin victory to come through.

In its seven previous appearances, the German basketball team is yet to bring an Olympic medal home. However, with a determined Dennis Schroder by their side, one shouldn’t say never until the final moment.