Germany men's national basketball team facts for kids
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| FIBA ranking | 3  (1 March 2024) |
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| Joined FIBA | 1934 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIBA zone | FIBA Europe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National federation | Deutscher Basketball Bund (DBB) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Álex Mumbrú | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Die Mannschaft (The Team) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIBA World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals |  Gold: (2023) Bronze: (2002) |
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| EuroBasket | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals |  Gold: (1993) Silver: (2005) Bronze: (2022) |
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| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Switzerland 25–18 Germany  (Berlin, Germany; 7 August 1936) |
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| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 West Germany 127–53 Scotland  (Osnabrück, West Germany; 11 May 1989) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Yugoslavia 115–56 West Germany (Tbilisi, Soviet Union; 4 June 1965) |
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Medal record
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The Germany men's national basketball team is also known as Die Mannschaft, which means "The Team" in German. This team plays for Germany in big international basketball games. The German Basketball Federation (DBB) is in charge of the team. Germany is currently ranked third in the world for men's basketball.
Between 1949 and 1990, there were actually two German national teams. This was because Germany was split into West Germany and East Germany after World War II. After Germany became one country again in 1990, the two teams joined together.
Germany's best achievements include winning a gold medal at the EuroBasket in 1993. They also won silver in 2005 and bronze in 2022. In the FIBA World Cup, Germany won gold in 2023 and bronze in 2002. At the Olympic Games, their best finish was fourth place in 2024.
Contents
History of German Basketball
Early Years (1934–1939)
Germany joined FIBA, the world basketball organization, in 1934. The national team played its first international game at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. This was also the first time basketball was played at the Olympics.
Germany lost their first game to Switzerland 25–18. After this, they did not play in the EuroBasket tournaments in 1937 and 1939. This was because of the rise of Nazi Germany at that time.
After World War II (1946–1990)
After World War II, Germany was not allowed to play in international games until 1950. The country was also divided into West Germany and East Germany. The German Basketball Federation was started in 1949. The East Germany team joined FIBA in 1952.
When their ban ended, West Germany played in the EuroBasket 1951 in Paris. They won their first game in the tournament against Scotland 69–25. West Germany finished 12th out of 18 teams in that event.
Two years later, West Germany played in EuroBasket 1953 in Moscow. They finished 14th. Over the next 16 years, West Germany only played in the EuroBasket four more times. Their best result was 13th place in 1957.
West Germany hosted the 1971 EuroBasket. They did not make it past the first round. A year later, West Germany hosted the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. This was the second time the Olympics were held in Germany. The team finished 12th. After the 1970s, West Germany did not qualify for any major international games for a while.
In 1981, West Germany qualified for the EuroBasket 1981. They won only one game in the group stage. In EuroBasket 1983, a young team with players like Detlef Schrempf and Uwe Blab played well. They almost made it to the next round.
In 1984, West Germany played in the Olympic Games again. They replaced the Soviet Union, who boycotted the event. The team reached the quarter-finals for the first time. They lost to the United States, who had a young Michael Jordan.
West Germany hosted EuroBasket 1985. They finished fifth after losing to Spain in the quarter-finals. The next year, West Germany played in the 1986 FIBA World Cup for the first time. They did not make it out of the group stage. In EuroBasket 1987, they reached the quarter-finals.
Germany Reunites (1990s)
After the reunification of Germany in 1990, a united German team played in the 1992 Olympic Games. NBA players like Detlef Schrempf and Uwe Blab could now play for the national team. Germany reached the quarter-finals but lost to the team representing the former Soviet Union.
At EuroBasket 1993, Germany hosted the tournament. Many people did not expect them to do well. But Germany surprised everyone! They beat Spain in overtime to reach the semi-finals. Then they beat Greece. In the final game, Germany won their first European title 71–70 against Russia. Christian Welp was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). After this big win, Germany struggled in the next World Cup and EuroBasket tournaments.
The Dirk Nowitzki Era (1999–2015)
In 1999, a new star joined the German team: 21-year-old Dirk Nowitzki from the Dallas Mavericks. In his first tournament, EuroBasket 1999, Nowitzki led Germany to the quarter-finals. They lost to FR Yugoslavia.
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Germany played in EuroBasket 2001. Nowitzki scored 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in their first game. Germany reached the semi-finals but lost a close game to Turkey. They then lost the bronze medal game to Spain.
At the 2002 FIBA World Cup, Germany started strong. They beat China with Nowitzki scoring 30 points. They reached the semi-finals after beating Spain. Germany then won their first World Cup medal by defeating New Zealand 117–94 for the bronze. Dirk Nowitzki was named the tournament's MVP.
In EuroBasket 2003, Germany did not play well and missed the knockout stage. But in EuroBasket 2005, they came back strong. They reached the final for the first time in 12 years, beating Spain in the semi-finals. However, they lost the final to Greece. Nowitzki was named the EuroBasket MVP.
At the 2006 FIBA World Cup, Nowitzki scored a personal tournament record of 47 points in a triple-overtime win against Angola. Germany reached the quarter-finals but lost to the Carmelo Anthony-led United States. In EuroBasket 2007, they again reached the quarter-finals but lost to Spain.
Germany qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games. They won their first game but then lost four in a row and did not make it past the first round. Without Nowitzki, Germany struggled in EuroBasket 2009.
Germany received a wild card to play in the 2010 FIBA World Cup. They were eliminated early. In EuroBasket 2011, Nowitzki returned. Germany advanced past the first group stage but then struggled and were eliminated. They did not qualify for the 2012 Olympics.
In EuroBasket 2013, without an aging Nowitzki, Germany surprised everyone by beating France in their first game. But they lost their next games and were eliminated.
Germany co-hosted EuroBasket 2015. Dirk Nowitzki returned, hoping for a good run. They won their first game but then lost four close matches and were eliminated. After this tournament, Dirk Nowitzki retired from international basketball.
The Dennis Schröder Era (2017–Present)
Even though Germany was disappointed in the last EuroBasket, a new star emerged: point guard Dennis Schröder. He led the team in scoring and assists in 2015.
Germany qualified for EuroBasket 2017. They finished second in their group and beat rivals France in the Round of 16. However, they lost to Spain in the quarter-finals. Dennis Schröder was the second-highest scorer in the tournament.
Germany easily qualified for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. They won all their games in the first qualifying round. In the final round, they came back from 23 points down to beat Israel in overtime.
At the 2019 World Cup, Germany lost two close games and did not advance past the group stage. Two years later, Germany won all their games in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. This meant they qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games (which were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Germany reached the quarter-finals but lost to Slovenia.
Germany co-hosted EuroBasket 2022. Before their first game, the German Basketball Federation honored Dirk Nowitzki by retiring his number 14 jersey. Germany won their first game against France. They had a strong group stage, winning four out of five games.
In the knockout stage, Germany beat Montenegro. Then they had a huge win against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece in the quarter-finals, scoring 107 points. They reached the semi-finals for the first time in 17 years. Germany lost to Spain but then won the bronze medal game against Poland.
After their bronze medal at the Euros, Germany qualified for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They had a perfect record in the preliminary phase, winning all three games. In the second round, they beat Luka Dončić and Slovenia.
Germany won a very close quarter-final game against Latvia. In the semi-finals, Andreas Obst scored 24 points to help Germany beat the United States 113–111. This meant Germany reached the World Cup final for the first time ever! In the final, Germany defeated Serbia 83–77 to become world champions. Dennis Schröder was named the tournament's MVP.
After winning the World Cup, Germany played in the 2024 Olympic Games. They won all their group games and beat Greece in the quarter-finals. This was their first time reaching the Olympic semi-finals. They lost to hosts France and then to Serbia in the bronze medal game, finishing fourth.
Famous Players
Many great players have played for the German national basketball team. Here are some of the most famous ones:
- Uwe Blab – An early German player who played in the NBA.
- Shawn Bradley – An American player with German family roots who played in the NBA.
- Patrick Femerling – He played the most games for the national team (221).
- Chris Kaman – An American-German player who played in the NBA.
- Dirk Nowitzki – A legendary NBA star. He won an NBA Championship, was an NBA MVP, and was MVP of the 2002 World Cup and 2005 EuroBasket. His number 14 jersey has been retired by the national team.
- Detlef Schrempf – The first German NBA star. He was a 3-time NBA All-Star.
- Dennis Schröder – A current NBA player and the team's captain. He was MVP of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
- Daniel Theis – A current NBA player.
- Franz Wagner – A current NBA player.
- Moritz Wagner – A current NBA player and Franz's brother.
- Christian Welp – He scored the winning points in the 1993 EuroBasket final and was named MVP.
See also
- Sport in Germany
- Germany women's national basketball team
- Germany men's national under-20 basketball team
- Germany men's national under-19 basketball team
- Germany men's national under-17 basketball team
- Germany men's national 3x3 team
