02 June 2024 , 00:00
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NBA star Dennis Schroder swapped the basketball court for the football pitch this week, turning out for his local team FC Germania Bleckenstedt.
The point guard, who is currently under contract with the Brooklyn Nets, played 63 minutes on the left wing in a match that saw Bleckenstedt suffer a 5-1 defeat to SC Gottingen 05. Schroder's involvement came at the request of his brother-in-law, who also plays for the team. The 30 year old has always been a keen footballer and even favoured it over basketball until he was 11.
Despite his commitments to the Nets, Schroder is expected to stay with Bleckenstedt for the next few weeks and is set to feature in their upcoming game against VfL Wahrenholz.
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Schroder has had an illustrious 11-year career in the NBA, spending half of that time as a starter. However, he has moved around in recent years, playing for seven different teams in the last seven years and being traded four times.
Although considered an above-average point guard, Schroder has often found himself in challenging situations, with the majority of his career spent with teams outside of the playoffs.
Last season, he put in some standout performances as the Toronto Raptors' starter before being traded once again, this time to the Nets.
This followed a successful stint as point guard for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23, where he started most games and helped lead them to the Western Conference Finals.
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Schroder had been the Brooklyn Nets' starting point guard this season (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)Although he's currently playing football back home, he will soon need to switch gears and prepare for a return to basketball for the Olympics.
Last summer, Schroder led Germany's men's team to a stunning victory at the FIBA World Cup, clinching the gold medal after a shock upset against a US team packed with stars like Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson, Paolo Banchero and Mikal Bridges.
Schroder has been selected for a formidable German squad for the upcoming Paris Olympics, alongside fellow NBA luminaries Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner and Daniel Theis.
After the Olympics, the point guard will rejoin the Nets, entering the final year of his contract and aiming to put in a strong performance ahead of a potential lucrative deal in the 2025 offseason.