The World Basketball Championships culminate on Sunday, September 10. Bronze match Canada-USA at 11:30 and the final Germany-Serbia at 15:40. Urheilu follows the World Cup in this article.
The men’s basketball World Cup final will have a strong Finnish flavor on Sunday, when a Finnish citizen Gordon Herbert trying to pilot Germany to world champion. On Friday, Germany beat the pre-favorite USA 113-111 in a huge semifinal.
The place in the World Cup final is a continuation of Germany’s upward moves in recent years. In last year’s European Championships, the team coached by the 64-year-old Herbert won bronze after Spain and France. Germany will face Serbia in the World Cup final.
A place in the World Cup final is the first of its kind for Germany.
When Germany was in the medal games of the World Cup last time, in 2002, the team had a strong Finnish flavor even then. Then Henrik Dettmann coached the country to the World Cup bronze medal.
Born in Canada in 1959, Herbert came to play in Finland in the 1980s. In Finland, he represented Hyvinkää Tahko, Turku NMKY, Forssa Koripoiki, NMKY Helsinki and Uudenkaupungin Korihai.
Herbert, who continued in coaching positions, started a family in Finland and later also got the country’s citizenship. From 1994 to 1999, he coached Korihai and Honka of Espoo. Herbert later returned to Finland and coached in Honga in 2009–2010.
Herbert also has coaching experience in Austria, Germany, France, Georgia, Greece, Russia, as well as in the NBA, where he worked as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors in the 2008-2009 season.
Herbert, who started as Germany’s head coach in autumn 2021, has a special relationship with Finland.
– I spend my summer in Finland. My children are Finnish, Herbert tells Urheilu.
boys, Mikael and Daniel Herbert have played in the Korisliiga.
Wonderful words about Markkase
Germany, which played brilliantly in the World Cup, beat Finland 101-75 in its opening group. Finland’s star player, brilliant in the NBA Lauri Markkanen talents and feats have not gone unnoticed by the experienced basketball coach.
Last season, Markkanen was the driving force of the Utah Jazz, forging hard points in several games. The 26-year-old Finn got to play in the NBA’s all-star game.
He has also excelled in Susijeng’s shirt, especially in last year’s European Championships, where Finland narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-finals, losing to Spain, who were crowned European champions.
However, Herbert has especially remembered what kind of person the Finnish star is.
– He is a great player. He is better as a person than as a player. Lauri is a wonderful role model for young Finnish players, Herbert praises.
Herbert has both played and coached Markkanen’s father in Finland, Pekka from Markka against.
– He is a much better player than his father was, Herbert says.
Markkas the Nowitzki of Finland?
Markkas has sometimes been compared to the German basketball legend, to Dirk Nowitzki. The 45-year-old German, who is sixth in the NBA’s all-time scoring record, represented the Dallas Mavericks throughout his NBA career.
In 1,400 games, he scored a whopping 31,000 points.
In 2007, he became the NBA’s most valuable player as the first European. He got to celebrate the Star League championship in 2011.
Herbert sees that Markkase has the potential to rise to Nowitzki’s level, but gives a dose of realism.
– The fact that he is now placed in the same category as Dirk is unfair.
– However, he has similar skills and a similar playing style. I think Dirk is one of the best ever in this sport.
However, the experienced coach says that Markkanen can rise to a tough level.
– Last season was huge for him. However, Dirk was able to do it for more than ten years. Time will tell if Lauri has equally strong statistics or not.
– He has potential. The attitude and work ethic already exist for that.
One of the most important members of the successful German team is also an NBA player and the captain of the national team Dennis Schroeder. The extremely fast and skilled, 185-centimeter Schröder moved from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Toronto Raptors in the summer.
– He is one of the toughest competitors I have ever coached. During these two years, he has played in the national team at a really high level.
Canada is ahead
The country of birth also has a special place in Herbert’s heart. Canada is a passionate hockey country.
In ice hockey, Canada is always number one on Herbert’s list.
– As a Canadian, ice hockey is my first love. I’m a big hockey fan. When Finland plays against Canada, I am one hundred percent Canadian.
– It’s the same thing when Germany and Canada meet in hockey. In everything else I’m German or Finnish, Herbert laughs.
Herbert has fun with his Finnish friends when Finland and Canada play against each other in hockey.
– Finland is a proud and wonderful hockey country. Unfortunately, Canada is a little better, Herbert acknowledges.
The World Basketball Championships culminate on Sunday, September 10. Bronze match Canada-USA at 11:30 and the final Germany-Serbia at 15:40. Urheilu follows the World Cup in this article.