FIBA has banned a spectator from EuroBasket for engaging in racist verbal abuse directed at German captain and Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schröder during Germany’s win over Lithuania in Tampere, Finland, on Saturday.
FIBA, the international governing body for basketball, said that on-site security, using CCTV footage, identified and banned the person and has given the footage to local law enforcement, who are continuing to investigate.
While walking to the locker room at halftime, Schröder was subjected to “monkey noises from some Lithuanian fans,” German Basketball Federation President Ingo Weiss said in a statement in German on Saturday.
“This is completely unacceptable to us,” Weiss said. “There is no place for such behaviour anywhere, and certainly not in the colorful, diverse and open world of basketball. We stand fully behind Dennis, understand his distress and will intervene with the organizers to ensure that such incidents don’t take place here again.”
With the 107-88 win, Germany secured its spot in the Round of 16. Schröder scored 26 of those points, a game-high.
FIBA said in a statement Saturday that it will “engage with the Lithuanian team delegation to inform them of the situation and to support efforts aimed at preventing similar incidents in future games.”
“FIBA unequivocally condemns hate speech, discriminatory conduct, and racist language in any form,” its statement said. “Creating an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for players, teams, and fans remains a fundamental priority of our sport.”
The Athletic has reached out to the Lithuanian Basketball Federation for comment.
Schröder grew up in Braunschweig, Germany, the son of a German father and a Gambian mother. He has spoken in the past about facing racism in Europe, including in Germany.
“Every time, when I went into the kindergarten, I was the only Black guy, and people always said, like, why is your skin dirty, or you know, like, why is it different, so it was really, really tough,” Schröder said in a 2024 video produced by the Brooklyn Nets, where he previously played.
(Photo: David Reginek / Imagn Images)
