Maxi Kleberis an undeniable talent for the Dallas Mavericks. Due to his height, reach, fitness and athleticism, he has been one of the most consistent rotation players on the Mavericks roster. Back when Kleber played in the EuroCup for FC Bayern Munich, Kleber had a couple of things going his way; his young age and agility. Being only 25 at the time, Kleber was always alert on the defensive end. Aside from shot-blocking, he could also score steals and make plays.
Bringing the same energy to theNBA, he was coached by Rick Carlisle, and then former Maverick Jason Kidd towards scoring & shooting and further pushing his defensive skills.
Maxi Kleber is an experienced Power forward that knows his role and is efficient with the minutes he gets on the court. But while basketball fans know him for his successes in the NBA, few know how effective he has been when playing for his country.
Maxi Kleber National Team
Maxi Kleber plays for team Germany. Having missed out on representing Germany at the U17 and U19 squads, Maxi made his national team debut at the 2014 EuroBasket tournament.
Kleber showed determination in his first time showing, averaging 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, one steal, and 1.4 blocks. Kleber proved to be very efficient with his scoring, shooting 57.6% from the field and 53% from beyond the arc.
Kleber played in two World Cup Qualifier games for team Germany in 2017 and 2018. He averaged 10 points, 6.5 rebounds, one steal and one block in the first couple of outings, and 12 points, 6 rebounds and two assists in the next two games.
Having been a productive big man for the team during the World Cup qualifiers, he was picked for the German squad that would play in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. Playing in all five games, Kleber averaged 11 points, three boards, one steal, and 1.8 rejections.
While it is not clear why Kleber couldn’t make the final team for the 2020 Olympic, his inclusion in the 2022 EuroBasket was certain. Unfortunately, the injuries he picked up in the 2021-22 NBA season kept him out of the EuroBasket as well.
On July 18, Maxi issued a statement and to the shock of many, announced that he would not play in the upcoming 2023 World Cup.
The statement conveyed that “recent unfortunate and inappropriate statements” about him showed that he wasn’t welcome on the team. As the situation unraveled quickly, it became known that Dennis Schroder’s statements about him missing the 2022 Eurobasket served as the origin for Kleber’s response.
Out of respect, Schroder issued another statement on July 24, apologizing for his prior words to Maxi.
There has been no response from Kleber’s side, but we expect him to change his mind, if possible.
FAQs
A. Kleber made his professional debut in Basketball Bundesliga for his hometown team, the Würzburg Baskets.
A. Maxi’s wingspan measures seven feet six inches in length.
A. Kleber went undrafted in the 2014 draft but returned to Europe to play in the Spanish ACB League.
A. Kleber has been in the NBA since 2017, i.e., six seasons.
