Talentmate Theis lauds Schröder: "Caps off to him"
In a regrettable incident during an EM game against Lithuania at Tampere's arena in Finland, basketball star Dennis Schröder experienced racist heckling, specifically monkey noises from the stands.
Schröder, the German captain, displayed remarkable mental strength in the face of this disturbing behaviour, as his team-mate Daniel Theis attested. Theis praised Schröder's reaction to the incident, though no further details about the captain's specific response on the court were provided.
Theis, another German basketball national player, has unequivocally condemned the racist heckling. He expressed full solidarity with Schröder, stating that they, along with Schröder's family and friends, are there for him.
Schröder himself expressed that racism does not belong in sports and that he does not accept such behaviour. He plans to answer the heckling with his performance on the court.
The identity of the heckler(s) remains undisclosed. However, following the incident, the FIBA basketball federation identified and excluded a suspect from attending further EuroBasket 2025 games, and two fans were ejected from the arena.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need to eradicate racism from sports and society at large. The German team and basketball community stand united in their support of Schröder during this challenging time.
