Basketball professional Daniel Theis has his sights firmly set on the 2023 World Cup in Asia.
“I met Gordon Herbert a few weeks ago and the goal is definitely that I play and we get the core of last time together,” said the 31-year-old professional from the Indiana Pacers in an interview with the “ARD Sportschau “.
Theis, Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner formed the core of the team that won the bronze medal at the European Championships in their own country last year and won the first major event medal since 2005. There were also role players from the Bundesliga like Bayern’s Andreas Obst or Alba Berlin’s Maodo Lo.
World Cup 2023 in Indonesia
This year, the World Cup will take place from August 25th to September 10th in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. The draw at the end of April will only reveal which country the German team will play in its preliminary round matches. Theis praised the role of national team captain Schröder at the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s important for a team like this to have someone like Dennis, who defends every second and doesn’t take a break,” said Theis.
Theis himself spoke about the difficult time after his knee injury. After twelve weeks of rehab, he joined the team. “And then, when I was just getting into the rhythm, I had a conversation with the coach and the front office that they now want to see how good the young players are. Of course that’s quite a slap in the face,” said the native Lower Saxony, who hardly played a role with the Pacers this season.
