Germany men's national basketball team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Germany

FIBA ranking	3 (1 March 2024)
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)
EuroBasket
Appearances	25
Medals	Gold: (1993) Silver: (2005) Bronze: (2022)
Home Away
First international
Switzerland 25–18 Germany  (Berlin, Germany; 7 August 1936)
Biggest win
West Germany 127–53 Scotland  (Osnabrück, West Germany; 11 May 1989)
Biggest defeat
Yugoslavia 115–56 West Germany  (Tbilisi, Soviet Union; 4 June 1965)
Medal record FIBA World Cup Gold 2023 Philippines–Japan–Indonesia Bronze 2002 United States EuroBasket Gold 1993 Germany Silver 2005 Serbia and Montenegro Bronze 2022 Germany Stanković Cup Silver 2006 Nanjing

The Germany men's national basketball team (also known as Die Mannschaft, meaning "The Team") plays for Germany in international basketball games. The team is managed by the German Basketball Federation, which is the main group for basketball in Germany. Right now, Germany is ranked third in the world by FIBA.

Between 1949 and 1990, there were two separate German national teams. One represented West Germany and the other represented East Germany. After Germany became one country again in 1990, the two teams joined together.

Germany's biggest wins include playing in the EuroBasket 25 times. They won gold in 1993, silver in 2005, and bronze in 2022. They have also played in the FIBA World Cup seven times, winning gold in 2023 and bronze in 2002. In their seven appearances at the Olympic Games, their best finish was fourth place in 2024.

Team History: How Germany Became a Basketball Powerhouse

Starting Out: The Early Years (1934–1939)

Germany joined FIBA, the world basketball organization, in 1934. They didn't play in the first EuroBasket in 1935. Their first international game was at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, where they were the hosts. This was also the first time basketball was played at the Olympics.

Germany's first game was against Switzerland, which they lost 25–18. After the Olympics, Germany didn't play in the EuroBasket tournaments in 1937 and 1939.

After the War: Two German Teams (1946–1990)

After World War II, Germany was not allowed to play in international games until 1950. The country was also split into West Germany and East Germany. The German Basketball Federation was started in 1949. The East Germany team joined FIBA in 1952.

When West Germany could play again, they entered the EuroBasket 1951. They lost their first two games but then beat Scotland 69–25. They finished 12th out of 18 teams. Two years later, at EuroBasket 1953, they finished 14th.

West Germany played in the EuroBasket only four more times over the next 16 years. Their best result during this time was 13th place in 1957.

In 1971, West Germany hosted the tournament but didn't make it past the first round. A year later, they hosted the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. They won some games but were eliminated before the medal rounds. After that, West Germany didn't qualify for a major international tournament for the rest of the 1970s.

West Germany returned to the EuroBasket in 1981 and 1983. In 1983, with young players like Detlef Schrempf and Uwe Blab, they played well but just missed advancing to the next round.

In 1984, West Germany played in their third Olympic Games. They made it to the quarter-finals for the first time but lost to the United States, who had a young Michael Jordan.

West Germany hosted 1985 and finished fifth. They also played in the 1986 FIBA World Cup for the first time but didn't get past the group stage. In 1987, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Germany Becomes One Team Again (1990s)

After Germany reunited in 1990, the unified national team played in the 1992 Olympic Games. NBA players like Detlef Schrempf and Uwe Blab could now play for Germany. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to the team representing the former Soviet Union.

At EuroBasket 1993, Germany hosted the tournament. Even without Detlef Schrempf, they surprised everyone. They beat Spain in overtime to reach the semi-finals for the first time. Then they beat Greece and 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, 21-year-old Dirk Nowitzki joined the national team for the first time. He quickly became a star, leading Germany to the quarter-finals.

Dirk Nowitzki was a key player for Germany for many years.

At EuroBasket 2001, Nowitzki scored a lot of points, but Germany lost in the semi-finals and then in the bronze medal game to Spain.

In the 2002 FIBA World Cup, Germany, led by Nowitzki, reached the semi-finals. They lost to Argentina but then won the bronze medal game against New Zealand. This was Germany's first medal at the World Cup, and Dirk Nowitzki was named the tournament MVP.

Germany had a tough EuroBasket in 2003, but came back strong in 2005. They made it to the final for the first time in 12 years, beating Spain in the semi-finals. They lost to Greece in the final, but Nowitzki was again named the EuroBasket MVP.

At the 2006 FIBA World Cup, Nowitzki scored a personal record of 47 points in a triple overtime win against Angola. Germany reached the quarter-finals but lost to the United States. In EuroBasket 2007, they again reached the quarter-finals but lost to Spain.

Germany qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games but didn't make it past the first round. Without Nowitzki, the team struggled in EuroBasket 2009.

Germany got a special invitation to the 2010 FIBA World Cup but were eliminated early. Nowitzki returned for EuroBasket 2011, and Germany played well in the first round but struggled later.

In EuroBasket 2015, Germany co-hosted the event. Dirk Nowitzki returned for his last tournament. Germany had a tough group and lost four close games, finishing with only one win. After this, Dirk Nowitzki retired from international basketball.

The Dennis Schröder Era (2017–Present)

Even with the disappointment of the 2015 EuroBasket, a new star emerged: point guard Dennis Schröder. He led Germany in scoring and assists.

Dennis Schröder in 2022

Germany qualified for EuroBasket 2017 and reached the quarter-finals, beating rivals France. They lost to Spain, but Dennis Schröder was one of the top scorers in the tournament.

Germany had a great qualifying run for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, winning all their first-round games. They even came back from 23 points down to win a game against Israel. At the World Cup, they didn't make it past the first round after two close losses.

Two years later, Germany qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games (which were held in 2021). They made it to the quarter-finals but were eliminated by Slovenia.

At EuroBasket 2022, Germany co-hosted the competition. Before their first game, Dirk Nowitzki's number 14 jersey was officially retired in a special ceremony. Germany won their first three games, including a double overtime thriller against Lithuania. They reached the semi-finals for the first time in 17 years by beating Greece. They lost to Spain in the semi-finals but then won the bronze medal game against Poland.

Germany celebrating after beating the United States in the 2023 FIBA World Cup semi-final.

After their bronze medal at the Euros, Germany qualified for the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a strong record. At the World Cup, they won all their preliminary games. In the second round, they beat Georgia and then surprised everyone by routing Slovenia, led by Luka Dončić.

In the quarter-finals, Germany had a close win against Latvia. In the semi-finals, they pulled off a huge upset, beating the United States 113–111, thanks to great play from Andreas Obst. This sent them to 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 MVP.

Following their World Cup triumph, Germany played in the 2024 Olympic Games. They won all their group games and then beat Greece in the quarter-finals to reach the Olympic semi-finals for the first time. They lost a close game to hosts France and then lost the bronze medal game to Serbia, finishing in fourth place.

Recent Games and Results

      Win       Loss

2024 Games

Germany  v  France

6 July 2024 Friendly	Germany	66–90	France	Cologne, Germany
16:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 11–23, 17–25, 17–20, 21–22
	Pts: Schröder 23 Rebs: Voigtmann 11 Asts: Schröder 6	Boxscore	Pts: Wembanyama 25 Rebs: Gobert 7 Asts: three players 3	Arena: Lanxess Arena Attendance: 18,500

France  v  Germany

8 July 2024 Friendly	France	65–70	Germany	Montpellier, France
21:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 19–11, 20–28, 14–20, 12–11
	Pts: Batum, Coulibaly 11 Rebs: Gobert 9 Asts: Strazel 4	Boxscore	Pts: Schröder, F. Wagner 17 Rebs: Da Silva, Voigtmann 8 Asts: Schröder 4	Arena: Sud de France Arena Attendance: 10,000

Germany  v  Netherlands

13 July 2024 Friendly	Germany	95–50	Netherlands	Hamburg, Germany
19:30 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 26–10, 23–15, 26–15, 20–10
	Pts: Obst 18 Rebs: Voigtmann 7 Asts: Schröder 6	Boxscore	Pts: Van der Vuurst de Vries 14 Rebs: Kuta 6 Asts: Van der Vuurst de Vries 8	Arena: Barclays Arena Attendance: 10,000

Germany  v  Japan

19 July 2024 Friendly	Germany	104–83	Japan	Berlin, Germany
20:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 27–16, 29–15, 29–25, 19–27
	Pts: F. Wagner 27 Rebs: Voigtmann, F. Wagner 8 Asts: Schröder, Weiler-Babb 4	Boxscore	Pts: Hachimura 19 Rebs: Hawkinson 8 Asts: Togashi 5	Arena: Uber Arena Attendance: 10,413

United States  v  Germany

22 July 2024 Friendly	United States	92–88	Germany	London, England
20:00 BST (UTC+1)	Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 19–22, 20–30, 24–17
	Pts: James 20 Rebs: Embiid 8 Asts: Embiid 5	Boxscore	Pts: F. Wagner 18 Rebs: Voigtmann 8 Asts: Schröder 10	Arena: The O2 Arena Attendance: 19,177

Germany  v  Japan

27 July 2024 2024 Summer Olympics Group stage	Germany	97–77	Japan	Lille, France
13:30 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 24–23, 22–17, 23–16
	Pts: F. Wagner 22 Rebs: Theis 7 Asts: Schröder 12	Boxscore	Pts: Hachimura 20 Rebs: Hawkinson 11 Asts: Kawamura 7	Arena: Stade Pierre-Mauroy Attendance: 26,991 Referees: Antonio Conde (ESP), Boris Krejić (SVN), Amy Bonner (USA)

Brazil  v  Germany

30 July 2024 2024 Summer Olympics Group stage	Brazil	73–86	Germany	Lille, France
21:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 10–22, 30–18, 11–20, 22–26
	Pts: Yago 18 Rebs: Meindl 6 Asts: Yago 8	Boxscore	Pts: Schröder 20 Rebs: Voigtmann 8 Asts: Schröder 6	Arena: Stade Pierre-Mauroy Attendance: 23,884 Referees: Antonio Conde (ESP), Omar Bermúdez (MEX), Gatis Saliņš (LAT)

France  v  Germany

2 August 2024 2024 Summer Olympics Group stage	France	71–85	Germany	Lille, France
21:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 9–24, 19–21, 25–16
	Pts: Wembanyama 14 Rebs: Wembanyama 12 Asts: Batum 3	Boxscore	Pts: Schröder, F. Wagner 26 Rebs: Theis 8 Asts: Schröder 9	Arena: Stade Pierre-Mauroy Attendance: 26,860 Referees: Antonio Conde (ESP), Juan Fernández (ARG), Andrés Bartel (URU)

Germany  v  Greece

6 August 2024 2024 Summer Olympics Quarter-finals	Germany	76–63	Greece	Paris, France
11:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 11–21, 25–15, 23–16, 17–11
	Pts: F. Wagner 18 Rebs: Theis 8 Asts: Schröder 8	Boxscore	Pts: Antetokounmpo 22 Rebs: Papanikolaou 9 Asts: Antetokounmpo 3	Arena: Accor Arena Attendance: 12,288 Referees: Roberto Vázquez (PUR), Mārtiņš Kozlovskis (LAT), Johnny Batista (PUR)

France  v  Germany

8 August 2024 2024 Summer Olympics Semi-finals	France	73–69	Germany	Paris, France
17:30 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 15–8, 23–17, 17–19
	Pts: Yabusele 17 Rebs: three players 7 Asts: Wembanyama 4	Boxscore	Pts: Schröder 18 Rebs: Theis 11 Asts: Theis 6	Arena: Accor Arena Attendance: 12,454 Referees: Antonio Conde (ESP), Boris Krejić (SVN), Wojciech Liszka (POL)

Germany  v  Serbia

10 August 2024 2024 Summer Olympics Bronze medal game	Germany	83–93	Serbia	Paris, France
11:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 17–16, 25–26, 20–21
	Pts: F. Wagner 18 Rebs: F. Wagner 9 Asts: Schröder, Weiler-Babb 6	Boxscore	Pts: Jokić, Micić 19 Rebs: Jokić 12 Asts: Jokić 11	Arena: Accor Arena Attendance: 12,406 Referees: Matthew Kallio (CAN), Yohan Rosso (FRA), Johnny Batista (PUR)

Sweden  v  Germany

22 November 2024 EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers	Sweden	73–72	Germany	Stockholm, Sweden
18:30 CET (UTC+1)	Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 11–19, 18–19, 18–16
	Pts: Håkanson 22 Rebs: Birgander, Czerapowicz 6 Asts: Njie, Pantzar 3	Boxscore	Pts: Krämer 43 Rebs: Osetkowski 9 Asts: Osetkowski 5	Arena: Hovet Attendance: 8,906 Referees: Georgios Poursanidis (GRE), Lorenzo Baldini (ITA), Marek Kúkelčík (SVK)

Germany  v  Sweden

25 November 2024 EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers	Germany	80–61	Sweden	Heidelberg, Germany
19:30 CET (UTC+1)	Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 18–12, 19–17, 20–13
	Pts: Thiemann 16 Rebs: Thiemann 9 Asts: Kayil, Krämer 4	Boxscore	Pts: Njie 15 Rebs: Gaddefors 6 Asts: Pantzar 5	Arena: SNP Dome Attendance: 4,380 Referees: Fernando Calatrava (ESP), Yener Yılmaz (TUR), Cecília Montgomery-Tóth (HUN)

2025 Games

Montenegro  v  Germany

20 February 2025 EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers	Montenegro	76–95	Germany	Podgorica, Montenegro
19:00 CET (UTC+1)	Scoring by quarter: 17–26, 21–24, 13–25, 25–20
	Pts: Simonović 22 Rebs: Simonović 7 Asts: Popović 5	Boxscore	Pts: Thiemann 16 Rebs: Pleiß 7 Asts: Hollatz 6	Arena: Morača Sports Center Attendance: 5,233 Referees: Yohan Rosso (FRA), Kerem Baki (TUR), Geert Jacobs (BEL)

Germany  v  Bulgaria

23 February 2025 EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers	Germany	94–85	Bulgaria	Bamberg, Germany
17:30 CET (UTC+1)	Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 34–14, 13–22, 19–28
	Pts: Krämer 14 Rebs: Pleiß, Thiemann 6 Asts: three players 3	Boxscore	Pts: P. Ivanov 17 Rebs: Minchev 5 Asts: P. Ivanov 6	Arena: Brose Arena Attendance: 5,500 Referees: Georgios Poursanidis (GRE), Petar Pešić (SRB), Martin Vulić (CRO)

Team Roster: Who Plays for Germany?

Current Players

This is the team roster for the EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers games in February 2025.

Germany men's national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. SF 0 Isaac Bonga 25 – (1999-11-08)8 November 1999 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) Partizan PF 3 Tim Schneider 27 – (1997-09-01)1 September 1997 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) Alba Berlin F/C 7 Johannes Voigtmann 32 – (1992-09-30)30 September 1992 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) Bayern Munich C 10 Daniel Theis 32 – (1992-04-04)4 April 1992 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) AS Monaco PG 11 Nelson Weidemann 25 – (1999-03-25)25 March 1999 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Ulm SG 15 Jonas Mattisseck 25 – (2000-01-16)16 January 2000 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Alba Berlin F 16 Louis Olinde 26 – (1998-03-19)19 March 1998 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) Alba Berlin SF 20 Malte Delow 23 – (2001-04-22)22 April 2001 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) Alba Berlin PG 21 Justus Hollatz 23 – (2001-04-21)21 April 2001 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Bayern Munich C 24 Tibor Pleiß 35 – (1989-11-02)2 November 1989 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) Trapani PF 32 Johannes Thiemann 31 – (1994-02-09)9 February 1994 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) Gunma Crane Thunders SG 42 Andreas Obst 28 – (1996-07-13)13 July 1996 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Bayern Munich SG 44 David Krämer 28 – (1997-01-14)14 January 1997 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Tenerife	Head coach Álex Mumbrú Assistant coach(es) Klaus Perwas Alan Ibrahimagic Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the competition Age – describes age on 20 February 2025

Team Positions

Coaches Through the Years

Famous German Basketball Players

Dirk Nowitzki was a pillar for Germany throughout his career.

• Uwe Blab – Played in the NBA.
• Shawn Bradley – Also an NBA player, born in Germany but grew up in the U.S.
• Patrick Femerling – Played the most games for the national team (221).
• Hansi Gnad
• Henning Harnisch – Now a vice president for Alba Berlin, a basketball club.
• Chris Kaman – Former NBA player, American with German family roots.
• Dirk Nowitzki – A huge NBA star! He won an NBA Championship in 2011, was the NBA MVP in 2007, and was an NBA All-Star 13 times. He was also the MVP of the 2002 World Cup and EuroBasket 2005. His number 14 jersey has been retired by the national team.
• Ademola Okulaja – Played college basketball at North Carolina.
• Tibor Pleiß
• Henrik Rödl – Played college basketball at North Carolina.
• Detlef Schrempf – The first German NBA star, a 3-time NBA All-Star.
• Dennis Schröder – A current NBA player for the Detroit Pistons.
• Daniel Theis – Played in the NBA, now plays for AS Monaco.
• Franz Wagner – A current NBA player for the Orlando Magic.
• Moritz Wagner – Also a current NBA player for the Orlando Magic.
• Christian Welp – Former NBA player who scored the winning points in the EuroBasket 1993 final and was named MVP.

Players with International Roots

Many players on the German national team have parents or grandparents who came from other countries. These players grew up in Germany and speak German. Some examples include:

• African-German: Dennis Schröder, Maodo Lô, Isaac Bonga
• American-German: Shawn Bradley, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chris Kaman, Nick Weiler-Babb
• Brazilian-German: Oscar da Silva, Tristan da Silva
• Turkish-German: Mithat Demirel

Many German players have also played U.S. college basketball. Some famous ones are:

• Uwe Blab – Indiana
• Shawn Bradley – BYU
• Oscar da Silva – Stanford
• Niels Giffey – UConn
• Elias Harris – Gonzaga
• Ademola Okulaja – North Carolina
• Henrik Rödl – North Carolina
• Detlef Schrempf – Washington
• Franz Wagner – Michigan
• Moritz Wagner – Michigan
• Christian Welp – Washington

Media and Sponsors

Germany's basketball games are shown on TV by Deutsche Telekom. The team's uniform supplier since 2014 is Peak, and their sponsors include ING DiBa and TipWin.

More About German Basketball

• 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

See also

In Spanish: Selección de baloncesto de Alemania para niños