Maximilian Kleber definitely wants to take part in the Olympic Games after the end of the NBA season. “It is a dream for every athlete to get there at all,” said the German national basketball player from the Dallas Mavericks in an interview with SID: “If you have the chance to represent your country, it is a huge honor.”
After all, the games are the “biggest sporting event ever. Of course, it’s something that you want to take with you, want to experience”, said the Würzburger. In order for it to work, however, the biggest hurdle has yet to be overcome. So far, the selection of the German Basketball Federation (DBB) has not qualified.
In the summer, the national team fights for a ticket to Tokyo at a tournament in Split / Croatia (June 29th to July 4th). If Kleber gets very far in the play-offs with Dallas, he would not be available. “It’s not an ideal situation that they could overlap,” said the 28-year-old.
“You have to wait and see how the season goes,” said Kleber, “how the situation with the coronavirus will develop in order to see what will happen in the end.” Most recently, Kleber’s national team colleague and NBA opponent Dennis Schröder had expressed the hope that “there will somehow be a rule.”
“I’ll talk to all the leaders and organizations here to see if they can find an option so that I can somehow play along,” said the new signing from NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers: “That would be extremely important to me.”
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