NBA star Dennis Schröder made history at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics when he became the first Black person to carry the German flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Besides Schröder, 31, Dirk Nowitzki is the only basketball player to carry the German flag at the Olympic Games. That was in 2008.
Despite attaining that feat, Schröder, in a recent interview, stated that he felt he could not be loved in Germany like Nowitzki, who is retired. Though soccer is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Germany, Nowitzki is widely known in the European nation because of his massive achievements in the NBA and legacy with the Dallas Mavericks.
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“I will not receive the same love in this country because I am dark-skinned,” Schröder, who was born to a Gambian mother and currently plays for the Sacramento Kings, told Stern, per DW Sports.
Schröder also touched on watching Nowitzki, 47, play for the German national basketball team at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Schröder was 14 at the time.
“Back then, I thought: How cool, there can be no greater appreciation. Today, however, I know: It’s a great honor, but it will never be the same for me as it was for Dirk,” he stated.
Schröder spoke about how Germans perceive stars to carry themselves and his personality not being in line with those expectations.
“I’ve made mistakes, I’m not perfect. Nevertheless, it’s wrong to judge someone you don’t know well,” the 31-year-old said. “The fact that I was allowed to be a flag bearer doesn’t make this story any better.”
Despite his sentiments, Schröder has been a key player for the German national basketball team. In 2023, he captained the squad to clinch their first FIBA World Cup. They also won that competition undefeated.
Schröder said he intended to return to Germany after hanging his NBA jersey. “Many professionals stay in the USA after their playing careers and enjoy their fame,” he said. “But I belong in Germany.”
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