By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Germany star Dennis Schroder apologized to his teammate Maxi Kleber after criticizing him over skipping the 2022 EuroBasket. Kleber had announced that he’ll sit out the upcoming World Cup due to Schroder’s comments.
“I would like to apologize to Maxi Kleber and his family for my statements and the inconvenience they caused,” Schroder said in a statement that was published on the website of the German Basketball Federation. “It was never my intention to put anyone in an awkward situation or upset on the team. My intention was just to stand up for my team and make it clear that I would do anything for my team.”
“All of this was never something personal against Maxi Kleber from my side,” Schroder added. “Anyone who knows me knows that I am a direct type and always assume that the person I am talking to understands what I mean by what I say, but I have once again been shown that this is not always the case. I still appreciate and respect him and his career and hope he accepts my apologies.”
Schroder had lambasted Kleber for not playing in last year’s EuroBasket, saying that his absence essentially meant that he’ll be out for the World Cup too. “Maxi wasn’t there last year. If you didn’t commit – that was actually the message for all of us – then you won’t be there next year either,” Schroder had mentioned in an interview for the “Got Nexxt” podcast.
This wasn’t the end of Schroder’s blast. “If he says ‘I will sign my contract this summer and I want to be with the team so that I can earn even more money,’ then I understand that,” the new Toronto Raptors guard said. “But if you say to [national team coach] Gordon Herbert, ‘I’m Maxi and I want to train ball handling and work on my game in the summer,’ then, sorry Maxi, but you don’t have a game.”
A few days after Schroder’s quotes were published, Kleber issued an announcement over his decision to skip the World Championship. “… the recent unfortunate and inappropriate public statements about me have made it 100% clear that I am not fully welcomed on the national team,” the Dallas Mavericks forward wrote.
Germany head coach Gordon Herbert also addressed the issue. “The situation that arose is unfortunate, but we were able to discuss, reflect and resolve it internally,” Herbert said. “Dennis showed strength with his apology. Dennis takes great care of his teammates. He is very proud and honored to represent his country.”
It’s still unclear whether Herbert means that Kleber changed his mind after Schroder’s apology and will ultimately gear up for the World Cup.
Germany won the bronze medal in last year’s EuroBasket with Schroder making the All-tournament team.