Dennis Schroder, world basketball champion: "I'll never receive the same affection in Germany as Nowitzki, because I have dark skin."

Dennis Schroder was one of the key players in Germany's 2023 World Cup victory , being named the tournament's MVP . The German point guard will compete in Eurobasket 2025, looking to improve on the bronze medal he won last year, where Spain emerged victorious.

The Detroit Pistons player has an extensive NBA career, spending 12 seasons with the Hawks, Thunder, Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, Raptors, Nets, and Warriors. He played 842 games there, averaging 13.9 points and 4.9 assists.

With the German national team, he won the 2023 World Cup, a bronze medal at the 2022 Eurobasket, and a fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics . Despite his successful career, Schroder believes he is not properly recognized in his home country, as he stated in an interview with ' Stern '.

“When I was 14, I sat in front of the television watching Dirk Nowitzki carry the flag at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At the time, I thought: how cool, there's no greater honor. It's a great honor, but for me it will never be the same as it was for Dirk . I will never receive the same affection in this country because I have dark skin,” declared the German national team captain.

The comparison with Nowitzki is difficult. At the national team level, the point guard surpasses the former player, as the number 41 won bronze at the 2002 World Cup and silver at the 2005 Eurobasket.

But the power forward has left a great legacy, not only in Germany but also in the NBA. He won the ring in 2011 as MVP , was a 14-time All-Star, and played 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, ranking sixth in the league's history with 31,560 points.