A nation primarily known for football, Germany leaves their imprint in the world of basketball, becoming world champions for the first time in the sport, following a tense 83-77 win over Serbia. The German hoopsters caused a major upset in the semis, as they defeated perennial favourites USA 113-111. The victorious team was led by Dennis Schröder, who plies his trade for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA.
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>The FIBA World Cup 2023 saw a series of first. Not only did Germany win their first championship title, Canada too won their first medal, that too by defeating their neighbours 127-118 in the bronze medal match. Germany’s and Canada’s respective wins over the US means basketball is no longer American monopoly.
>Germany’s achievement is even more impressive, especially put in the context of their last few outings. They finished 17th in 2010, didn’t qualify in 2014, and finished 18th in 2019.
>The last time the Germans finished on the podium in the FIBA World Cup was way back in 2002. The team, led by NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki, won the Bronze medal.