Some off-court drama between two of Germany's best players has impacted the country's team for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
While Germany's preliminary roster for the tournament featured NBA players Dennis Schroder, Daniel Theis, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner and Maxi Kleber, Kleber has since announced that he won't be part of the team due to some "unfortunate and inappropriate public statements" that were made about him.
Kleber didn't name who made the statements in question, but Schroder is at the center of the controversy.
Kleber's withdrawal is a big blow to Germany, which will be looking to medal and earn a spot in the Paris Olympics.
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What did Dennis Schroder say about Maxi Kleber?
During a recent interview on the "Got Nexxt" podcast, Schroder was critical of Kleber's decision to not play for Germany in EuroBasket 2022.
Kleber was limited to 59 games during the 2021-22 NBA season due to a combination of back, oblique, knee and ankle injuries. He had one year remaining on his contract at the time and went on to sign a three-year, $33 million extension with the Mavericks in September of 2022.
Here is some of what Schroder said about Kleber via BasketNews:
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. 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.
You throw in the corner, you defend. You're a pick-and-roll player. You're not a Carmelo Anthony type of player. You don't have to work on your game. The older you get, the more you see what your strengths are. And you try to maximize them so blatantly that you can play in the NBA for as long as possible.
For me it's like, 'Maxi, working on your game? You can't play in the NT for that?' That bothered me a little bit, to be honest.
Schroder later released a video on his YouTube channel addressing his comments. Based on the subtitles, he said that the "media likes to twist things" and that he would "give everything" for his teammates, "no matter if they are playing or not."
Specifically to Kleber, Schroder said he meant no offense and explained that the German national team was looking for players to make a three-to-four year commitment. In the "Got Nexxt" podcast, Schroder said that if a player doesn't commit, "then you won't be there next year either."
"That's your job as a captain — to stand up for your players. But I don't think it's fair if you weren't there last year even though other people sacrificed their summer to play in the league. It wouldn't make sense to tell one of them that they can't come because someone else decided to play a year after.
"I don't know if you understand what I'm trying to say, but that's how I was raised. To Maxi Kleber, if it came off somehow wrong, you know how I am, I apologize. No offense meant, you know how the media is and in the end, the coach makes the decision."
Has Maxi Kleber responded to Dennis Schroder?
On July 18, Kleber announced in a statement that he would not play in FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Kleber said that he did not play in EuroBasket 2022 because of injuries he suffered during the 2021-22 NBA season. While he intended on playing in the upcoming World Cup, he added that he was not "unreservedly welcome" to play for the national team based on "recent unfortunate and inappropriate public statements."
Here is Kleber's complete translated statement via The Dallas Morning News:
My goals in playing basketball and representing Germany are to be 100% healthy and help the team win and be a good teammate.
The [very tough] decision last summer not to play was due to an injury I played with for the last four months of the 21-22 NBA season. I needed full recovery and rest.
Had I been healthy, I would have been happy and proud to play for our NT.
All communication from my side with all relevant people was done in an honest and respectful manner. I enjoyed watching the team’s success and was proud of what they accomplished.
I started this summer with full intention and motivation to join the national team in the World Cup. However, the recent unfortunate and inappropriate public statements about me have made it 100% clear that I am not unreservedly welcome in the NT.
It is not my goal to destroy the good team chemistry of last summer. Nor do I want to become a source of distraction. Therefore, I have decided that it is best for everyone involved if I do not play.
Instead, I will cheer on and support the team as a fan. I have no intention of commenting further publicly on this matter.
I wish the NT every success!
Dennis Schroder apologizes to Maxi Kleber
Schroder apologized to Kleber in a statement released on July 24.
Here is Schroder's statement, which has been translated from German to English, in full:
I would like to apologize to Maxi Kleber and his family for my statements and the inconvenience it caused. 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. 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.
I won't be answering any more questions about this and I'm looking forward to the team and the World Cup.
Germany's head coach, Gordon Herbert, also addressed the situation in a statement.
The situation that arose is unfortunate, but we were able to discuss, reflect and resolve it internally. Dennis showed strength with his apology. Dennis takes great care of his teammates. He is very proud and honored to represent his country.
We are looking forward to the preparation and building good team chemistry.
FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will take place between Aug. 25 and Sept. 10. Germany, which currently ranks 11th in the world, is in Group E with Finland, Australia and Japan.
