After severe criticism from NBA star Dennis Schröder, national team colleague Maximilian Kleber has decided not to take part in the basketball world championship.
The recent “unfortunate and inappropriate public statements” about him made it 100 percent clear that he was not fully welcome in the national team,” Kleber was quoted as saying in a statement by the Main-Post newspaper. “It’s not my goal , destroying the good chemistry in last summer’s team. I also don’t want to become a source of distraction, so I’ve decided that it’s best for everyone involved if I don’t play.”
Schröder criticizes Kleber
Kleber was reacting to criticism from Schröder, who expressed his displeasure with Kleber’s nomination in the “Got Nexxt” podcast because he had canceled for the European Championships the previous year. Schröder criticized the reasoning behind the cancellation of the Dallas Mavericks head coach Gordon Herbert by Kleber, who was suffering from knee problems at the time. “Last summer’s (very tough) decision not to play was due to an injury I played with for the last four months of the NBA 21-22 season. I needed a full recovery and rest,” Kleber wrote . If he had been healthy, he would have been happy and proud to have played for the national team.
At the EM 2022, the national team under Schröder’s leadership had sensationally won bronze, at the World Cup in Asia (August 25th to September 10th) the goals are also high. The German team meets hosts Japan, Australia and Finland in the preliminary round in Okinawa. For a direct ticket to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the DBB selection would have to be one of the two best European teams.
Kleber: “Cheer as a fan”
Kleber will “cheer on and support the team as a fan,” added the Würzburg native, who is still under contract in Dallas until 2026.
