Dennis Schroder Issues Apology to Mavs' Maxi Kleber Over Viral Comments

Dennis Schroder issues an apology to Maxi Kleber after viral comments, resulting in Kleber withdrawing from participating with Germany in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber was originally planning to represent Germany during the 2023 FIBA World Cup before comments from teammate Dennis Schroder made him feel uncomfortable staying with the team. 

Schroder's initial comments occurred while appearing on the "Got Nexxt" podcast, stating that Kleber opted not to participate with the German men's national team last summer in order to work on his game. While doing so, Schroder also took a shot at Kleber for "not having a game."

"If he says 'I will sign my contract this summer and I want to be with the team so that I can earn even more money', then I understand that," Schroder said. "But if you say to [national team coach] Gordon Herbert, 'I'm Maxi and I want to train ball handling and work on my game in the summer,' then, sorry Maxi, but you don't have a game.

"For me it's like, 'Maxi, working on your game? You can't play in the NT for that?' That bothered me a little bit, to be honest," Schroder explained.. 

Kleber later responded to Schroder's comments, making clear that he was unable to participate last summer as he was recovering from injury. However, had he been healthy enough to participate, he would have gladly participated with Germany.

"My goals in playing basketball and representing Germany are to be 100% healthy and help the team win and be a good teammate," Kleber said in a statement. "The (very tough) decision last summer not to play was due to an injury I played with for the last four months of the 21-22 NBA season. I needed full recovery and rest.

"Had I been healthy, I would have been happy and proud to play for our NT. All communication from my side with all relevant people was done in an honest and respectful manner. I enjoyed watching the team's success and was proud of what they accomplished.

"I started this summer with full intention and motivation to join the national team in the World Cup. However, the recent unfortunate and inappropriate public statements about me have made it 100% clear that I am not unreservedly welcome in the NT.

“It is not my goal to destroy the good team chemistry of last summer. Nor do I want to become a source of distraction. Therefore, I have decided that it is best for everyone involved if I do not play. Instead, I will cheer on and support the team as a fan. I have no intention of commenting further publicly on this matter. … I wish the NT every success!"

On Sunday, Schroder issues a statement on the German Basketball Federation's website, apologizing to Kleber for his comments. 

“I would like to apologize to Maxi Kleber and his family for my statements and the inconvenience they caused,” Schroder said. “It was never my intention to put anyone in an awkward situation or upset on the team. My intention was just to stand up for my team and make it clear that I would do anything for my team.

“All of this was never something personal against Maxi Kleber from my side,” Schroder explained. “Anyone who knows me knows that I am a direct type and always assume that the person I am talking to understands what I mean by what I say, but I have once again been shown that this is not always the case. I still appreciate and respect him and his career and hope he accepts my apologies.”

Germany coach Gordon Herbert stated the team is handling things internally, supporting Schroder after the apology was issued. 

“The situation that arose is unfortunate, but we were able to discuss, reflect and resolve it internally,” Herbert said. “Dennis showed strength with his apology. Dennis takes great care of his teammates. He is very proud and honored to represent his country.”

It remains to be seen if Kleber will ultimately participate for Germany this summer as the team is set to prepare for the FIBA World Cup. 

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Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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