2024-07-20 11:28:05
The German basketball players were actually supposed to be at the Olympic opening. But they are playing against Japan the next day.
Taking part in the Olympic Games and running into the opening ceremony is also something special for the German basketball players. National coach Gordon Herbert knows this and apparently promised his players months ago that they would be able to take part in the opening, reports “Bild”. Although there will be no running into the stadium this year, the participants will travel down the Seine on boats on July 26th.
But now a dilemma has arisen: the German team is scheduled to play its first match on Saturday, July 27. Since it could be late after the opening match, it is questionable how fit the men will be by the time the match starts at 1:30 p.m. Especially since the match against Japan will not be played in Paris, but in Lille, 220 kilometers away.
“I promised the team three or four months ago that they would be allowed to go to the opening ceremony. But I didn’t know the schedule then and didn’t know that we would have our first game the day after,” said the world champion coach on the sidelines of the awarding of the Silver Laurel Leaf by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. But Herbert wants to keep his promise. “I cannot and will not break my word now. If the players want to go, they can go. I fully support them, no matter what they decide,” says Herbert clearly.
The team’s last test match should have given them confidence. The players played against their first opponent, Japan, on Friday in Berlin. The team led by captain and flag bearer candidate Dennis Schröder won the test with 104:83 (56:31).