Dennis Schroder subtly adds fuel to fire over ‘World Champion’ debate after winning 2023 FIBA World Cup: “We take that one”  

Who are the basketball champions of the world? For Dennis Schroder, it is Germany after prevailing in the FIBA World Cup 2023.

Schroder led Germany to the gold meda in the World Cup, where he was named MVP after averaging 19.1 points, 6.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game.

When prompted to share his perspective on the debate over whether the title of "world champion" should belong to the World Cup winner or the NBA champion, Schroder said:

“I mean, the World Cup (has) every country representing,” Schroder told ESPN's Malika Andrews. “Every country has a chance to win.

“The Denver Nuggets is a great ball club. They beat us in the Western Conference Finals. Respect to them, but the World Cup is … where everybody represents the countries. And we take that one, for sure."

Schroder and his former team, the LA Lakers, were swept by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.

The discussion about who has the rightful claim to the title of "world champions" was ignited when American track and field sensation Noah Lyles voiced his opinion that it was unjust for the NBA champions to be considered world champions.

"The thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals, and they have world champion on their heads," Lyles said.

"World champion of what? I love the U.S., at times, but that ain't the world! We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving putting on a flag to show that they are representative."

Even though basketball players are increasingly coming from various countries around the world, the NBA is comprised of teams exclusively in the United States and Canada.

“There are no flags in the NBA," Lyles said. "We've got to do more. We've got to be presented to the world. I love the track community, but we can only do so much within our own bubble. There's a whole world out there."

Dennis Schroder and Germany

Born in Germany, Schroder embarked on his professional basketball career in 2010 when he joined SG Braunschweig in Germany. In the 2011–12 season, he experienced a breakthrough and averaged 17.8 ppg and 6.7 apg.

He declared for the NBA draft in 2013.

Schroder, now with the Toronto Raptors, played for the Atlanta Hawks, who drafted him at No. 13, from 2013 to 18, then the OKC Thunder (2018-20), LA Lakers (2020-21), Boston Celtics (2021-22), Rockets (2021-22) and Lakers (2022-23).

Schroder played in EuroBasket 2022, guiding Germany to a third-place finish. His exceptional performance earned him a spot on the EuroBasket All-Tournament Team.

Germany’s campaign in the tournament included a victory over Greece in the quarterfinals, a team that boasted NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Schroder led his team with averages of 22.1 ppg and 7.1 apg.

Continuing his stellar leadership, Schroder led Germany to its first FIBA World Cup title this summer. The team achieved an undefeated record, triumphing over formidable opponents like the United States, Australia and Serbia.