German national team leader Dennis Schröder has been named flag bearer for the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony.
The German Olympic Committee has decided to nominate a basketball player and a judoka to lead its delegation at the opening ceremony this Friday, July 26. Indeed, it is the former Oklahoma and Lakers player, hero of the last World Cup won by Germany, Dennis Schröder who has been chosen as flag bearer. He is accompanied by Anna-Maria Wagner.
Dennis Schröder is the third NBA basketball player to be named flag bearer for this Olympics, after LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He succeeds Dirk Nowitzki, who was named flag bearer for Germany in Beijing in 2008. “Dirk only told me positive things. He told me it was one of the greatest things he had ever done. He told me it was going to change our lives,” explained the 30-year-old point guard after his nomination. As in France and the United States, the flag bearers were selected by the athletes via a vote. Dennis Schröder came ahead of tennis player Alexander Zverev.
World champion last year to everyone’s surprise, Germany arrives in Paris with the momentum of a successful competition, but also with a certain amount of pressure. The German basketball players are indeed expected, and have shown that they are ready by narrowly failing to bring down the United States in their last preparation match.