By Niki Bakouli/ bakouli@eurohoops.net
Even when you have a full roster, you owe to know everything that’s going on all over the world, so you be prepared to do exactly what your team needs, any given time. And that is why Dirk Bauermann was everywhere (where young players were competing) this summer. Cause he needed to know at first hand “who is coming out of college and who is going to be an interesting European player in 2-3 years. It’s like… an investment. You have to see the market and to find the diamond in the rough”.
Bayern Munich’s boss wasn’t used to coach only one team, throughout a season. But this is the new reality of his life. “In the past, I always coached the national team, as well as a club team, but the German league doesn’t want a club coach to also coach the national team. Actually, they don’t allow you to do that. So, I had to make a decision. I coached the national team for 8 years and it that was wonderful, but it’s a very short season. It was time to take a club team”.
For sure, Bayern’s project is a really interesting one, after the club’s administration decided to have a great basketball team, together with their great football team… “Munich is such a wonderful city; it’s made for a basketball professional team. Bayern is a big club and the plan is to be in 2 to 4 years where Barcelona and Real Madrid are now. They have very tough teams in basketball and obviously in football. It’s one step at the time. Next year I think we will have a very strong team and I think we will compete for the championship. Hopefully in 2 years we are going to play in Euroleague. Our plan was first of all to move up to the first decision. The second goal was to make it to the play offs. The third step is to win the championship or to end up at the second place and then we will play in Euroleague”.
Is any true to the rumor about Dirk Nowitzki wish to retire as a player of the German League, with Bayern, something we read too many times? “It’s only rumors. I don’t think Dirk will ever play in Europe again. I think he will play maybe 4 to 6 years at the NBA and then when its time to retire he will live at the States and be a happy man. He won’t be interesting to play in Europe. We talk over the phone quite often and this is my opinion”.
And how is it to become a part of the German League’s growth, over the last couple of years? ”Bayern has a lot to do with that. If you have a team like Bayern who comes up and spends money; it’s a huge media attraction. Every one of our road games was sold out. Most of the games that we played were in television, because people watched them. Because Bayern is such a big name, it’s been great for basketball, it’s been great for the German League and I think the fact our league has grown so much has to do with the fact that Bayern now plays in the first division”.