By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – When Andreas Obst completely went off and delivered the game of his life in the Semi-Finals of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Hannes Steinbach and friends were enjoying their country’s outstanding win on a BBQ setting.
Everybody was expecting Germany to lose, including them. It’s Team USA, after all. But then, as the game progressed, they understood what was going on, going crazy about it.
After that, Gordon Herbert’s team would have gone on to win it all in the final, against Serbia. And some months later, Hannes Steinbach did the same at FIBA U18 EuroBasket, carrying on the legacy which is still on at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
Entering the Quarter-Finals against Australia, the 19-year-old promising big man is averaging 18.3 points and 13.0 rebounds per game, playing as the team’s center of gravity.
“We have been knowing each other for a pretty long time, we are also friends off the court: that’s the main reason why we play so well and have such good chemistry on the court. That’s also why this event here is really much fun,” he told Eurohoops.
In order to advance against the Oceanian side, they had to beat Serbia once again, going over Savo Drezgic’s outstanding double-double of 32 points and 11 rebounds.
“He was crazy against us in the last game. Also, last year, in the final of U18 EuroBasket, he was pretty good against us [he finished with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists]. He always plays great against us. It was really nice to play against him again,” Steinbach said.
Like it usually happens for a whole generation of players, this U19 German side has been capturing accolades and important memories for quite some time now.
Hannes Steinbach is good at basketball. Real good. 🔥#FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/zBRByQg9V4
— NextGen Hoops (@NextGenHoops) July 2, 2025
Players now know each other when it comes to attitude, mentality, and positioning on the court. Hannes Steinbach, for example, gives the perfect description of one of his national teammates, Jack Kayil – who officially returned to ALBA Berlin.
“He’s a very smart player, always tries to find the best move. If it’s for his teammates, he doesn’t have to score 20 every game. If he has 10 assists, it doesn’t matter. He’s just always looking for the best shot for the team, he always plays smart,” he said.
“I played with him in many tournaments, also in the ANGT. Last year, in Mega, it wasn’t too easy for him, with the injury on his back and on his wrist. I think it’s a pretty good move to move back to ALBA, coming back to his hometown, to his family, to his hometown club. He will be really good in the BCL and also in the BBL,” he added.
Talking about the Basketball Champions League, that’s where the 19-year-old exceeded everyone’s expectations, finishing among the best young players in the competition.
In his first-ever professional campaign, he averaged 5.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game over 10 appearances, increasing the attention on his game as time passed by and making a name for himself to compete for the Best Young Player of the Year – Nolan Traore won it.
“I didn’t want to prove anything to anybody, but rather give back to my coaching staff and the team the trust they gave to me. Paying that back was awesome,” he said.
He did that in Wurzburg, standing out as yet another talented German player coming out of the city following Maxi Kleber and, obviously, the greatest ever in doing it, born and raised in Germany: Dirk Nowitzki.
1978 | Dirk Nowitzki 1992 | Maximilian Kleber 2006 | Hannes Steinbach
Wurzburgs next Wunderkind? 👀#BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/y57i3ipihs
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) February 3, 2025
WunderDirk wasn’t the usual role model for Hannes growing up; in fact, his father, Burkhard Steinbach, used to play in Wurzburg with the German generational talent.
“His ability to shoot the ball was amazing: that’s where I have to improve, so I’d steal that from Dirk,” Hannes said. “Off the court, I’d pick up his mentality: being extremely human, down to earth, still investing in basketball. Just a great guy to be around,” he added.
Just like it happened with Nowitzki growing up, before moving to the NBA, Hannes Steinbach was given the opportunity to shine at a very young age in Wurzburg.
But his latest club isn’t the exception to the rule, as the German Bundesliga has proven to be one of the best leagues overall in giving their most precious talents some valuable playing time.
“Over the last few years, Germany has really been the place where young players were allowed to play. Also, Ulm has done a really good job in that. That’s the sign of a really good basketball movement,” the 19-year-old gem added.
It’s not a mystery to find out, therefore, that both Wurzburg and Ulm made it to the BBL Semi-Finals, with the former losing. Hannes Steinbach still shone, putting up 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds over the five-game series.
As his numbers prove, the German big man happened to become a rebounding machine. Behind grabbing the ball, there’s a whole mentality aspect to take into consideration.
“I see it sometimes in myself: when I’m tired, I don’t want to go on the offensive glass. But if you do it every time, consistently, you will always be rewarded: those are the easiest points you can get, grabbing the offensive rebound and putting it in,” he said.
“After the mentality, a crucial aspect is the positioning. Tagging is extremely important. For example, like we did against Canada, you have to be behind your men because they can just run the fast break otherwise.”
“It’s a matter of being ready, getting the right position, and then trying your best in order to fight for the rebound,” Steinbach dissected.
Germany’s 19-year-old Hannes Steinbach with a monster double-double at 19 pts and 19 rebs 💥 #FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/aIZArMPTfb
— NextGen Hoops (@NextGenHoops) June 28, 2025
He surely knows he will have to do the same thing moving to the NCAA when the appointment with the German national team will come to an end – hopefully for him and his country, with another gold medal around their necks.
Following the wave of European players getting to college overseas, Hannes Steinbach decided to join the Washington Huskies.
“I think the move to the NCAA right now for most of the players is probably the best move to do. Going from your European experience to the American lifestyle, experiencing earlier a different way of playing basketball, could prepare you better for the NBA,” he said.
Unlike other of his peers, he will also join a campus famous for having on board another German gem, probably the best coming out of the country before Dirk Nowitzki.
“I haven’t spoken to [Detlef Schrempf] about Washington. The staff told me he’s on campus often, and he’s always open to answering questions from students. He’s still involved with the university program, and we’ll probably meet him,” Steinbach revealed.
Just like he has done in the BBL this season, he will once again likely go up against Johann Grunloh, another twin tower for Germany’s future frontcourt. “I played with him two years ago in the U18, and he’s a great guy. I’m looking forward to playing with him again,” he said.
He’s not the only one who’s looking forward to spending time on the court with, as his future teammate, JJ Mandaquit, is also in Lausanne at the moment, competing with Team USA. “I saw how he plays. He’s a smart player in a nice system,” he commented.
“I spoke with the coaching staff, and all the guys I’ve met so far are really great. I also have a coach who played in Wurzburg, so that’s a cool connection,” Steinbach ultimately said.
In a trajectory full of closing circles, going from known faces in Wurzburg to former German legends repping the same jersey in the NCAA, Hannes Steinbach is trying to make his way into the future, rebound after rebound. A lot can change since a BBQ in 2023.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIBA