Stars like Thomas Müller and Dirk Nowitzki congratulated them. This triumph is a team success and likely won’t be their last.
The heroes of Manila are also the heroes of Riga. The German Basketball Federation (DBB) team secured the European Championship title after their World Championship win. “This is beyond words,” beamed the most important man in the final, Isaac Bonga, his smile as bright as his gold medal. “Somewhere, I believe in the basketball gods. We were behind for almost the entire game, and in the end, we turned it around again,” said the former Munich resident. This success bears a distinctly Bavarian signature and is a genuine team effort.
Nuremberg’s Ibrahimagic Takes Over as Coach for Mumbru
This was evident as early as the group stage, which head coach Alex Mumbru watched from the hospital. Although the Spaniard rejoined the team for the knockout phase, Alan Ibrahimagic coached the team throughout the entire tournament and never tired of mentioning that Mumbru was an integral member of the coaching staff. The Serbian-born coach lives with his family in Nuremberg. When asked how he would celebrate this success, he replied very matter-of-factly that he had to take his children to school on Tuesday. Ibrahimagic preferred to talk about the players rather than himself. “This is a very good team in terms of quality and basketball skill, but even more so in terms of character and humanity.”
Youngster da Silva Plays Like a Veteran
Especially in the last three games, the DBB team repeatedly went through phases of weakness. But whenever the established top players took a breather, others stepped up. Foremost among them: Tristan da Silva. The Munich-born player brought Germany back into the game in the semifinal with his buzzer-beater from his own half. In the final, he reliably delivered three-pointers and contributed 13 points in total. At no point during the European Championship did the 23-year-old show that he is the youngster on the team.
FC Bayern Basketball Players Sing Bavarian Anthem
He was also supported by his brother Oscar, who plays for FC Bayern but took more of a backseat at this EuroBasket, as did Johannes Voigtmann. The vice-captain had to leave after the group stage due to a knee injury but was back in Riga for the final. “Whenever things got dicey, someone always had an answer,” Voigtmann rejoiced afterward.
Like Andreas Obst. The hero of the World Championship semifinal two years ago couldn’t stamp his authority on the tournament as much this year but was there with his long-range shots in both the semifinal and against Turkey, bringing the team back into the game. After the final, the FC Bayern pros—Obst, Voigtmann, da Silva, Justus Hollatz, and new signing Leon Kratzer—sang the anthem “Stern des Südens” (Star of the South).
Müller and Nowitzki Congratulate DBB Team on EC Title
The German team thrilled fans far beyond Riga. On Friday before the semifinal, Augsburg coach Sandro Wagner outed himself as a basketball fan. Thomas Müller also followed the entire tournament with excitement. “Awesome sh*t! We are European champions! Double-header, World Champions and European Champions. Let’s go, Boys!”, cheered the new MLS pro from Vancouver. Basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki simply wrote: “European Champions!!!”.
A title that no one can take away from the German team, as captain Dennis Schröder correctly stated, and one that—if coach Ibrahimagic has his way—should not be the last: “There are many young talents coming up. I hope and expect that we will be strong in the coming years, but everyone has to work for that.”
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