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Germany's men's national basketball team is appearing in the Olympics for the sixth time in the nation's history. They are yet to win a medal at the Games and this year they are hoping they can break that drought.
Germany have won just three medals in notable international basketball competitions. They grabbed their only gold medal at the 1993 EuroBasket tournament and then won a silver and bronze medal in the 2005 and 2002 FIBA World Cup respectively. Both FIBA World Cup podium finishes were largely due to the performances of Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Although they lost two out of three of their Group stage matches at the Olympics 2021, they entered the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams. Germany lost their opener against Italy, won their next game against Nigeria and then lost again to Australia.
Olympics 2021: Germany basketball players who could shine in the quarter-finals
The German men's basketball team has just two current NBA players with Isaac Bonga of the Washington Wizards and Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic. Bonga, although just a minor role player in the NBA, is one of the key pieces of the German team. The 6'8" small forward is in the starting lineup averaging over 20 minutes per game. Even though he isn't asked to score, he does everything else for the team.
Moritz Wagner signed with the Orlando Magic in April 2021. On May 1st, he scored a season-high 24 points, including a game-tying three-pointer with just a minute left against the Memphis Grizzlies. Wagner also won gold with Germany at the 2014 FIBA European U18 Championship. He scored 17 points off the bench in their win against Nigeria while shooting 6-8 from the field, including 2-2 from beyond the arc.
Other starters for Germany include Maodo Lo, Johannes Voigtmann, Johannes Thiemann and Andreas Obst. Voigtmann and Thiemann usually lead the team in rebounding, while the former also posts game-high scoring numbers. Maodo Lo, Thiemann and Obst are BBL (Basketball BundesLiga) champions and All-Stars.
Robin Benzing is a BBL champion and six-time BBL All-Star who has often come off the bench for the German men's basketball team at the Olympics 2021.
Barring Lukas Wank and Jan Niklas Wimberg, Germany's roster is practically filled with BBL All-Stars and most of the team members have won the championship in the German league. The team is ranked 17th in the FIBA World rankings and a podium finish in the Olympics, although far-fetched, is not impossible.
Germany takes on Luka Doncic's Slovenia in the quarter-finals at the Olympics 2021, and it will arguably be their toughest game yet.
Guess the Lakers players!
