The FIBA Olympics Qualifying Tournament is set to begin on June 29 for teams that didn’t immediately qualify for a spot in the Tokyo Olympics.
Germany is one of the 16 teams competing for the final four spots left in the 12-team tournament in Tokyo.
However, Germany’s roster was dealt a major blow Friday. Dennis Schroder, point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, won’t be joining the squad for the qualifying games.
According to the German Basketball Federation, Schroder couldn’t meet the insurance requirements since he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer:
“Together, both sides tried everything in a week-long struggle and right up to the last preparatory game in order to be able to guarantee adequate insurance cover. Finally, efforts were made to find a solution in the team quarters, but a joint clarification between all protagonists – especially the insurers – was unfortunately not possible.
The very high market value of Dennis Schröder and his current status as a “free agent” posed the problem. Insuring the sum necessary for Schröder was not possible in times of the coronavirus, as the assessment of risks on the part of insurance providers changed significantly during the pandemic.”
Schroder gave his thoughts on the matter in the statement:
“I very much regret that the team in Split has to do without me and that I cannot support them. I am convinced that the guys will still make it to the Olympics and I am already looking forward to EuroBasket 2022 in Germany.”
Germany’s first game is on June 29 against Mexico. The roster has other NBA players as well, including Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic and Isaac Bonga of the Washington Wizards.
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