Los Angeles (AP) – In Germany, national basketball player Dennis Schröder cleaned up his reputation with strong European Championship and unexpected bronze medal – now the Los Angeles Lakers should really know him.
“For the nation, I understood correctly. But now there is the next mission here, it will not be easy,” said the 29-year-old from the German news agency after returning to the Californian metropolis. “We have what it takes and I’m trying everything in my power to get it right, just like I’ve done in the nation.”
Contempt and ridicule for Schröder’s first appearance in Los Angeles
Schröder has already raced for the NBA record champion in the 2020/2021 season. In a season that was largely played without spectators due to the crown pandemic, the then defending champion was eliminated in the first round of playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. Although LeBron James and Anthony Davis were often injured and the team lacked top players, the German point guard was the main critic afterwards.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson even went so far as to call him after him: “Schröder? I don’t think he’s a Laker.” The fact that he also turned down an offer from the Lakers for four years, according to the media, for 84 million dollars and preferred to negotiate a new player contract on a free transfer, caused further contempt and ridicule – because instead of earning more money. more money, as he probably hoped, he signed and ended up with the Boston Celtics for $ 5.9 million and a season.
After his first training with the Lakers, Schröder commented on both problems on Monday. He gave reporters in Los Angeles the same explanation he had previously referred to elsewhere: “There was never a contract and I never turned down anything.” On the sidelines of the Lakers’ preparatory game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a high-level Lakers decision maker confirmed this statement from the German news agency on Wednesday evening (local time). At the time, Schröder’s consultants were asked about contract talks, but Schröder’s team only wanted to negotiate in the summer.
Schröder himself found his first few months with the glamor team in the American entertainment capital “strange”. “That’s why I said I play for free here too. Just to straighten things out and get everyone on the right track,” he said. “There is still a deal pending here and we have to deal with it and win the title, that’s the goal.”
When asked about Johnson’s comments, he initially just shrugged. “I’ve never met Magic Johnson and I’ve never seen him. As an adult I would never judge and speak of someone if I didn’t know him,” he finally said. “What can I say about what external people are saying that I’m not there? It’s also about being relevant in the media. I try to focus on what I have in front of me and what I can control.”
Schröder knows the Lakers manager very well
Good chance it will work better the second time with the legendary yellow jersey with purple numbers. Since this season, the Lakers’ manager is Darvin Ham, with whom Schröder worked for five years for the Atlanta Hawks. “I’ve known him since day one as a rookie,” Ham said. “It’s like family to me.”
For Schröder, Ham is “the main reason, to be honest”, that there will be a second attempt in Los Angeles. He also refers to him as “family”. For his part, Ham sees Schröder’s strong EM in particular as a deciding factor in the fact that those in charge around Lakers manager Rob Pelinka were interested in working together again. “His performances this summer have been nothing short of incredible. It shows his maturity in the way he has led the team,” said Ham. “Not just the stats, his energy, the way he kept the group together during the tournament, it clearly shows how much he has grown.”
LeBron James also followed Schröder’s excellent performance over the summer and was not at all worried that the number 17 hadn’t hit any of his comeback shots and hadn’t completed an assist in his nine and a half minutes. “I’m not worried about Dennis,” James said. “He has played enough basketball, we just have to see him recover,” said James, referring to the missed training sessions.
Whether Schröder will start against the reigning Golden State Warriors at the start of the season on 18 October is an open question. He lost a lot of preparation time and the Lakers also signed Patrick Beverley for his position and went on to sign the controversial Russell Westbrook. In any case, he will not fail due to Schröder’s motivation. “I will do everything to win and to adjust this outstanding score,” he said. So much so that at the end of the season the people of Los Angeles are as enthusiastic about him as the fans of the German national team.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 221012-99-95853 / 3
