SAN FRANCISCO – Even on Day 1 and 5,600 miles away from where he grew up in Braunschweig, Germany, Dennis Schröder felt right at home during his first Warriors practice.
A 12-year NBA veteran who has played for seven teams before being traded to Golden State, Schröder has seen just about everything the league could offer. From the rich culture of Atlanta during his time with the Hawks to the bright lights of Los Angeles during his Lakers tenure to the drowning history that comes with the city and state of New York as a Brooklyn Net, and everything in between, nothing hit home quite like his road-trip visits to San Francisco.
“I mean, I was in the Four Seasons [Hotel] every time we came down with the team,” Schröder joked in response to why he loves the city of San Francisco so much while speaking to the media at his introductory press conference Tuesday. “But then when you walked out, it kind of looked like Europe. Kind of looked like Berlin with the train right on the street. It’s what we have. And [there’s] one store with German candy in it. So I loved San Francisco from the start.”
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“It was always great being here, playing here, seeing the fan base, when they went on a crazy run, how loud it got, and just really happy to be a part of this organization. First practice, [they] treated me like we've been here together since training camp. Everybody was real chill, cool. Chemistry I see is on a high level, you just see it as a winning organization.”
Winning is important to Schröder. So is representing his country with great pride, something he has done well over the years and, more recently, in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
As rain drops poured down, Schröder held the German flag high on a chilly Paris evening along the Seine River during the Olympic opening ceremony. The moment perfectly represented Schröder’s pride for his country, but also symbolized overcoming a difficult upbringing as a Black man in Germany.
As a young kid dealing with racism to years later being chosen as the flagbearer to represent that same country where he experienced the prejudice, however, it helped shape Schröder into the man he is today – especially mentally, and that has translated on the court as a professional athlete.
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“I mean, I'm [6-foot-1]. To be in this league for 12 years, you got to find a way to [have] mental toughness,” Schröder said. “You got to come out with effort. You got to play on the defensive end. You just got to find a way to impact the game without scoring sometimes as well. Growing up in Germany was tough, but it helped me – the man I am today – the father, the brother, son, husband. I learned a lot, you know, just growing up in Germany.
“To carry that flag in the Olympics was probably the biggest thing I’ve ever done, besides my family, my kids, my wife. But sports-related, I think that's the biggest thing I've done in my career, especially doing it for Germany. Winning the World Cup, of course, was one of the biggest ones, but carrying the flag was on top for sure.”
Speaking of toughness, Schröder is excited for his new partnership with Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green. The mutual respect between the two players with a so-called “dawg mentality” dates back years and is well-documented.
Those two together could make for a nightmare to opposing offenses. But he also looks forward to helping out another Warriors vet, Steph Curry, on the other side of the floor. The two-way veteran guard takes pride in his defense but can get a bucket when he needs to, too.
That’s one of the reasons Golden State made a move for him at this point of the season versus waiting closer to the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. His offensive presence will help with spacing, ball-handling, play-making, and, the hope for the Warriors is, just downright scoring – an area the team has struggled with down the stretch in recent games.
Schröder believes he can help in that area but is comfortable playing whatever role the team needs him to.
“I mean, we got one of the best closers in the whole world with Steph Curry,” he said. “I think I’ll just be a help for him, just taking the pressure off him, making sure that everybody's in the right spots, I'm in the right spot. Whenever he plays pick-and-roll, when they blitz in the pick-and-roll, it’s two on the ball, some on the back side, so it’s an automatic three against two, four against three. And we got to take that advantage and try to score and get a great shot every single possession.
“And, yeah, I mean, if Steph Curry gives me the ball and he trusts me, I just try to make the right play every single time. I feel comfortable with it. I think we all got to just come together, get the right shots. Everybody after the mindset of the three, four, five minutes in crunch time, and get W's. I mean, they’ve done it for so long. They did it before we beat them here as well. I mean, they were the No. 1 seed in the West.
“So we just got to get back to the little things: chemistry, making sure we’re helping one another, body language, just making sure everybody's in a great place and being happy for each other. We started today. Got practice tomorrow. But we want to start on Thursday against Memphis.”
A new chapter has begun for Schröder in a new city with new fans and new teammates. But the feeling is familiar. It’s the closest thing he’s experienced to the place that’s most near and dear to his heart.
San Francisco isn’t Germany. Germany isn’t San Francisco. But as of now, both are home for the 31-year-old.
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