By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Ending the 2023 FIBA World Cup on top by putting the gold medal around his neck as leader of Germany, Dennis Schroder will play for the Toronto Raptors in the 2023-24 season, coached by the Serbian Darko Rajakovic.
“I met him 5 years ago in OKC, we became friends and I like how he was coaching myself and the team. He called me right away when he took over and I said to my agent that I wanted to be there, I wanted to be a part of that. I think it’s a great fit, play like in the national team: handling the ball a little bit more, go out and run”, he commented on ESPN’s NBA Today.
Being named MVP following his leading performance of 28 points with 9/17 from the field to beat Serbia and get Germany its first-ever gold medal at a FIBA World Cup, Dennis Schroder ended the competition by averaging 19.1 points and 6.1 assists per game.
Starting his professional career back in 2011 for Braunschweig – the team he owns, and where Arturs Zagars played one year and a half ago -, the German playmaker moved to the NBA after being selected with the 17th pick in the 2013 Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
He went on to wear the jerseys of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. With the purple-and-yellow franchise, the soon-to-be 30-year-old had 12.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game all throughout the 2022-23 season.
“I think Darko [Rajakovic], the head coach… I met him 5 years ago in OKC. We became friends… I definitely said to my agent, ‘I want be there.’ … I think it’s a great fit.”
Dennis Schroder on why he left the Lakers for the Raptors this summer.pic.twitter.com/fQMqTW7akX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 13, 2023
PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA World Cup