German basketball has been the talk of the town since the recent World Cup title. But there have been heroes and successes before. Now everything is to be brought together in a Hall of Fame
After the impressive basketball gala at the start of the Top Four of the German Basketball League in Munich, plans for a German Basketball Hall of Fame are gathering momentum. “We should certainly value, honor and cultivate our history, our legends and our DNA. I also believe that we should approach the topic of a Hall of Fame in a suitable form,” Stefan Holz, Managing Director of the German Basketball League, told dpa. “In terms of momentum, a Hall of Fame could fit very well at the moment. But it has to be a well thought-out thing,” said Holz.
FC Bayern Basketball had organized a “Night of Legends” in the run-up to the cup final on Friday evening under the motto “Celebrating German Basketball”, to which numerous legends of German basketball had been invited. The four national coaches who had won medals with Germany were also present: Svetislav Pesic (European champion 1993), Henrik Dettmann (World Championship bronze medal 2002), Dirk Bauermann (European Championship silver medal 2005) and Gordon Herbert (World Champion 2023).
League and association leaders support Hall of Fame
“We want to raise basketball to a higher level,” said Bayern Managing Director Marko Pesic, who came up with the idea for the event and also set up a small but fine basketball museum in BMW Park with FC Bayern at the Cup weekend. “I think a Hall of Fame like this would be good for German basketball,” said former national team player Per Günther.
The league and the association now want to take up the idea from Munich. “The idea is wonderful,” said DBB Vice President Armin Andres. “But you don’t just shake something like this out of your sleeve. The league and association leaders will now take up the issue,” said Andres.
BBL boss Holz also believes there are still “some fundamental questions to be clarified” before a German basketball hall of fame is actually founded. Who should be inducted into such a Hall of Fame? How many legends per year? “From my point of view, you would also have to include women’s basketball and think inclusively,” said Holz. “But I’d like to think it through in principle. The impetus on Friday evening was definitely great. “