Center Johannes Voigtmann cried in the arms of national coach Henrik Rödl, the missing NBA star Dennis Schröder cheered his teammates from the stands. The German basketball professionals have fulfilled the dream of the first Olympic participation since 2008 with an impressive energy performance. The team of Rödl won the final of the qualification tournament against Brazil in Split on Sunday with 75:64 (36: 34) and secured the ticket to Tokyo driven by spectator Schröder.
After their triumph, all the players clapped with the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Schröder had to pass for the tournament at short notice because of unexplained insurance issues. For a group photo, the entire team gathered behind a symbolic ticket for the trip to the Japanese capital.
Moritz Wagner with 28 points
Best German thrower against strong South Americans was NBA pro Moritz Wagner with 28 points, who was also awarded as the most valuable player of the tournament. Last time was the selection of the German Basketball Federation 13 years ago in Beijing with superstar and flag bearer Dirk Nowitzki at the Olympic Games.
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