Things were escalated when the Germany basketball team shocked the world by beating five-time basketball world champion the United States of America in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and they further escalated the hype by winning their first basketball World Cup in history by overcoming two-time champion Serbia 83-77 in a tightly contested final. The star man of Germany for this basketball World Cup win is none other than Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schröder, who finished the finale with a game-high 28 points and was awarded with the FIBA World Cup MVP in addition to Germany’s team honour in the tournament.
First FIBA Basketball World Cup Final Appearance for Germany
Prior to their maiden appearance and win in the 2023 FIFA Basketball World Cup, Germany’s best result in the competition was a bronze-medal finish in Indianapolis 2002 after they saw off New Zealand in the third-place playoff. In this year’s competition, Germany beat Japan, Australia and Finland in the first round, followed by wins over Georgia and Slovenia in the second round, prompting them to reach the quarterfinal for only the third time in history.
During the quarterfinal and semifinal of the 2023 FIFA Basketball World Cup, Schröder’s side managed to overcome their opponents by a narrow margin of two points, before meeting Serbia who were 6-1 in their competition record, including a win over Canada, a team that were considered favourites to win it all in this competition due to their roster which was loaded with several NBA players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dwight Powell, RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk and Dillon Brooks.
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Third-Quarter Slump Costed Serbia the Gold Medal
The finale of the 2023 FIFA Basketball World Cup was tipped to be a battle between two guards, Schröder and Atlanta Hawks star and Serbia captain Bogdan Bogdanović. Serbia got off to a great start in the first 10 minutes of the match, leading 26-23 at the end of Q1, before a feisty German side fought back in the second quarter to level things up at 47 points apiece in the first half, meaning both teams are going neck and neck in the remainder of the game.
The third quarter was the one who let the Serbian fans down, as their team only produced a mere total of ten points. It was in these ten minutes that saw the eventual MVP Schröder who dance himself to score jumpers and drive past players for layups with his electric speed. Furthermore, the 1.85 m tall guard was winged by the Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz, who finished a total of 20 points in the match.
The 12-point lead Germany developed in the final was too much for Serbia to overcome in the fourth quarter. With 26 seconds remaining on the clock, Schröder called for an isolation play outside the perimeter and proceeded to blow past Aleksa Avramović for a deuce to make the game to a two-possession game. The tough point guard then nailed two free throws to put the game beyond reach for the Serbians, who were not able to find another basket after they put on 77 points throughout the 40 minutes.
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Such heart 💙
Hats off to Serbia for a terrific run in Manila! 🇷🇸 #FIBAWC x #WinForSrbija pic.twitter.com/2fLiPyH9cn
— FIBA (@FIBA) September 10, 2023
Schröder the Inspirational MVP
Germany’s first and only win in the FIFA Basketball World Cup history could not be made possible with Schröder’s brilliance throughout the tournament. In addition to his 28-point outing in the finale, the Germany skipper averaged 19.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 17.6 EFF per game in the tournament, making him the deserved MVP of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The player was presented with the individual honour by another former Laker Pau Gasol, who was also a FIBA Basketball World Cup champion and MVP himself back in 2006.
USA Medal-Less in 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup
In the other medal match, USA was forced to leave the Philippines without a medal following a 127-118 loss to Canada. Brooks and Gilgeous-Alexander combined for a resounding total of 70 points in Canada’s first podium finish in the competition’s history, and their win over the almighty USA, coupled with the superiority shown by Germany and Serbia in the finale, signalled a change in status of the best basketball countries in next year’s all-important summer Olympics in Paris.
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