Early years (1934–1939) Germany became members of
FIBA in 1934. After declining to enter the first ever
EuroBasket in 1935, the national team would make their debut presence on the international stage at the
1936 Olympic Games as hosts in Berlin. It was also the first basketball tournament held at the Olympics. American
Mormon missionaries who played the sport helped coach the team to improve
the church's relations with the
Nazi Germany government. Entering the
competition, Germany played their first match against
Switzerland, which the team would lose 25–18. The loss would send the team toward the consolation bracket to finish out the event. After the tournament, Germany failed to participate at the 1937 and 1939 editions of the EuroBasket, due to the continued rise of Nazi Germany during the late 1930s.
Post-war Germany (1946–1990) Following
World War II, along with Germany's involvement, the team was banned from participating in international competitions until 1950. The country was also split into
West Germany and
East Germany, after the end of
Allied occupation in 1949. Also in 1949, in October of that year, the
German Basketball Federation was founded. The
East Germany national team eventually became members of FIBA in 1952. At the end of their international suspension, West Germany entered the
EuroBasket 1951 held in
Paris. The team would open their stint at the tournament with two heavy losses, before earning their first ever victory in the competition against
Scotland 25–69. With a record of (1–2) after the preliminary phase, West Germany could not advance, and were sent into the classification phase. There, the team lost four out of their five matches, with their only win coming against
Portugal 47–39. West Germany would finish the event in 12th place in the then 18 team field. Two years later, West Germany made their second appearance at the tournament for
EuroBasket 1953 in
Moscow. The team would once again complete the preliminary phase at a record of (1–2), this time with their lone victory against
Sweden 37–65. Entering the classification rounds, West Germany would pick up two more wins, along with three more losses. At an overall record of (3–5), the team would finish out the competition in 14th place. After subpar performances in their first two appearances at the top continental tournament, West Germany would only reach the competition four times (
1955,
1957,
1961,
1965) in their next nine attempts over 16 years. The best result for the national team during that period, would be their 13th-place finish at the event in 1957. West Germany made it back to the European Championship as hosts in
1971. The team ultimately went quietly at the event, as they were denied making it past the preliminary round once again. A year later, West Germany hosted the
1972 Olympic Games held in
Munich. It was the second time the Olympic event was held on German soil. The team began the
competition in Group B, where they would lose their first two matches, before defeating the
Philippines 93–74. West Germany, however, would only go (2–2) in their next four games of the group stage, before being relegated to the classification bracket. There, they would lose two more games before being eliminated. After the Olympics, West Germany failed to qualify for a major international competition for the rest of the 1970s. Nine years after West Germany played in their last international tournament, the team would qualify for the
EuroBasket 1981. They would only prevail in one game in the group stage, a 66–51 win against
Turkey and having to close out their tournament appearance in the classification phase. Two years later, the team made it back on to the continental stage at
EuroBasket 1983. Led by a young core of players such as
Detlef Schrempf,
Uwe Blab and others, West Germany entered the competition placed in Group B. Behind posting a (2–2) record in their first four group stage matches, the team defeated
Israel 77–70 in their final game of the round. However, finishing in a second place tie with the
Netherlands, prevented the team from advancing; due to their loss against them earlier in the tournament. In 1984, West Germany made their third appearance at the
Olympic Games, after replacing the
Soviet Union; who initiated a
boycott on the event for political reasons. At the tournament, the team would make it to the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time, before succumbing to the eventual gold medalists
United States (which featured a young
Michael Jordan). Behind the encouraging performance by the team at the prior Olympics, West Germany as hosts of
EuroBasket 1985, looked to build on the momentum. The first game was against the Netherlands, where the team completely dominated from start to finish in a 104–79 win. At a record of (1–0), West Germany went on to split their next four games of the group stage to reach the quarter-finals. There, the team would come up short against
Spain, to shift their focus to the classification rounds. West Germany won both of their matches in the phase, to complete a fifth-place finish at the event. The ensuing year, West Germany competed at the
1986 FIBA World Cup, after gaining qualification through a European qualifying tournament. Making their first appearance at the competition, and without key players Detlef Schrempf and Uwe Blab due to
NBA players being ineligible to participate in international competitions at the time, West Germany failed to make it out of the group stage. In 1987, West Germany would enter their last event during the 1980s. At
EuroBasket 1987, the team only managed to procure slightly better results, as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
German reunification After the fall of the
Berlin Wall in 1989, and the
reunification of Germany in 1990, a unified Germany national team qualified for its first tournament at the
1992 Olympic Games. With FIBA lifting their rule that prevented NBA players from competing in international competitions, veterans
Detlef Schrempf and
Uwe Blab were able to represent the national team for the first time since 1985. Being placed in Group A at the
competition, Germany earned their first victory against hosts
Spain 83–74. After barely escaping with a win in their second game versus
Angola 63–64, the team were up against the juggernauts of the event to that point in the
United States. However, Germany was heavily defeated by the famed "Dream Team" 111–68. After the loss, the national team dropped their next two games of the group stage, but secured their spot into the quarter-finals. There, Germany lost against the
Unified team representing the former Soviet Union 83–76, to finish out the tournament in the classification round. At
EuroBasket 1993, Germany entered the tournament as hosts. After Detlef Schrempf retired from international competition following the prior Olympics, expectations for the team heading toward the event were tempered. However, Germany quickly impressed, as they made it all the way to the quarter-finals to defeat Spain 77–79 in overtime to reach the semis for the first time. After a 76–73 win over
Greece, the team was a win away from winning it all. In the final, Germany won their first European title 71–70 against
Russia. Additionally, the steady play by
Christian Welp during the event earned himself
MVP. Following Germany's triumph, the FIBA World Cup in
1994, and the next two editions of the EuroBasket (
1995,
1997), saw the team fail to make it past the group stage.
The Nowitzki era (1999–2015) Prior to Germany's arrival at the EuroBasket in
1999, the team selected 21 year old prodigy
Dirk Nowitzki of the
Dallas Mavericks to represent the senior national team for the first time. In their opening game of the tournament, Nowitzki led Germany with 21 points and 5 rebounds, to narrowly defeat
Greece 59–58. After a ten-point loss in their second game to
Lithuania, the team got back on track with a 68–77 win versus the
Czech Republic to enter the quarter-finals. However, Germany would lose in the round to
FR Yugoslavia 78–68, to finish the competition in the classification phase. After missing out on reaching the 2000 Olympics, Germany entered the
EuroBasket 2001. First up for the team was
Estonia, where Dirk Nowitzki poured in (33 points and 12 rebounds) to lead Germany to a 92–71 victory. Following the win, Germany won two out of their next three games to advance. In the quarter-finals against
France, Nowitzki's 32 points helped the team into the semis against
Turkey. There, Germany's run at the event would come to a close, after losing a tough battle to the hosts 78–79. With the bronze medal still attainable, even behind Nowitzki's tournament high (43 points and 15 rebounds), Germany was outlasted by the
Pau Gasol led
Spain 90–99. At the
2002 FIBA World Cup, Germany was placed into Group C to begin the competition. The first game for the team was a wire-to-wire victory over
China 76–88, with Dirk Nowitzki leading the way once again with (30 points and 8 rebounds). After the win, Germany would make it all the way to the quarter-finals with a rematch versus Spain, who they lost to in the bronze medal game at EuroBasket 2001. The team would ultimately prevail in a come-from-behind win 62–70, to reach the semis. There, Germany came up short against
Argentina 80–86, and having to play in the third place game. Germany went on to earn their first medal at the World Cup, by defeating
New Zealand 94–117. Moreover, national team star Dirk Nowitzki was named tournament
MVP. A year later, at
EuroBasket 2003, Germany suffered its worst performance at the competition since the 1997 edition. The team failed to reach the knockout stage, and also missed out on the 2004 Olympics in the process, as the event was also a qualifier. After Germany stumbled through the EuroBasket in 2003, the team entered the tournament in
2005 with renewed ambition. Making it through the preliminary phase, and the playoff, the team was back into the quarter-finals once again. Germany would then display an all-around effort, with four players in double figures to eliminate
Slovenia 62–76. In the semi-finals, Dirk Nowitzki who played the entire 40 minutes, recording (27 points and 7 rebounds) willed Germany past Spain 73–74 into the final for the first time in 12 years. However, the team would lose in the title game against the more experienced
Greece 78–62. Even in defeat, the clutch play by Nowitzki throughout the competition got him the
MVP award. Entering the
2006 FIBA World Cup, Germany won three out of their first four games, and were tied for second place in Group B with
Angola. With one game left in the phase, which was against Angola, Dirk Nowitzki put up his personal tournament record of (47 points) in a 103–108 triple overtime win to secure second place. After moving past
Nigeria 78–77 in the Round of 16, the team would get eliminated in the quarter-finals by a
Carmelo Anthony led
United States 85–65. At
EuroBasket 2007, Germany once again made it through to the quarter-finals, but were embarrassed in the round by hosts Spain 83–55; and ousted from the tournament. During the
2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Germany seized qualification to the
2008 Olympic Games, after grabbing the final spot by defeating
Puerto Rico 82–96. The team, however, exhibited no urgency after their opening victory in the competition against Angola. Germany would finish with a record of (1–4), and fail to make it out of the preliminary phase. At
EuroBasket 2009, and this time without Dirk Nowitzki, the national team continued their subpar play; and missed out on reaching the quarter-finals. For qualification to the
2010 FIBA World Cup, Germany gained entrance into the tournament by receiving a
wild card. However, they were quickly eliminated from the event, after posting a (2–3) record in the group phase. The following year, at
EuroBasket 2011, Nowitzki rejoined the national team for the first time since the 2008 Olympics. Drawn in Group B to begin the competition, Germany displayed dominance in their first game against
Israel 91–64. The team would eventually pickup two more wins in the round to finish at (3–2), and advance toward the second group phase. There, Germany struggled, winning only one game versus Turkey to have their tournament end. After failing to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, Germany entered the
EuroBasket 2013. Without the services of an ageing Dirk Nowitzki, expectations for the team were limited. Placed in Group A, Germany started off the tournament with a surprise win over
France 74–80. However, after the brilliance demonstrated in the opening match, the team endured losses in three of their next four games in the round to be eliminated. For
EuroBasket 2015, Germany was named as one of four co-hosts for the event. With Dirk Nowitzki making a return to the team for the first time since 2011, there was hope he could once again help Germany for a deep run. Drawn into
Group B at the Euro finals, seen by many as the "Group of Death" entering the tournament, Germany prevailed in their first match against
Iceland 71–65. After the win, the team would have the misfortune of losing their last four matches of the preliminary round by seven points or less in each game to close out the event (1–4). Following the tough tournament for Germany, national team legend Dirk Nowitzki announced his retirement from international competition.
Schröder takes over (2017–present) With the disappointment of the previous EuroBasket in the rear-view, Germany did come away from the competition with some positives. The team uncovered rising phenom point guard
Dennis Schröder, who led Germany in scoring and assists at the event in 2015. During
qualifying for the
EuroBasket 2017, Germany put away
Denmark in their first game 101–74, before their derby with
Austria. Entering the match, the energetic Austria crowd helped their side hold the lead for majority of the contest, but Germany would make a final push in the fourth quarter to steal the away game 59–61. After their resilient win in Austria, the team went on to garner a (4–2) record to secure qualification. At the tournament, Germany finished second in
Group B with a (3–2) record, and advanced into the Round of 16. There, they defeated rivals
France in a back-and-forth battle 84–81. In their quarter-finals match, the team came up short against the eventual bronze medalist
Spain 84–72. While Germany's run did not end the way they wanted, the immense efforts of Dennis Schröder stood out. He finished number two in scoring at the competition for the second consecutive EuroBasket. In
European Qualifiers for the
2019 FIBA World Cup, Germany opened up their World Cup qualifying campaign with a victory at home against
Georgia 79–70. Following the win, Germany swept through the first round of qualifiers at (6–0) to advance. During the second and final round, the team easily trounced
Estonia 43–86 in the first game. Against
Israel in game two, with a chance to clinch qualification to the World Cup with four games remaining, Germany rallied from 23 points down to eventually win in overtime 112–98. At the World Cup finals for the first time since 2010, Germany was drawn into
Group F to begin the event. However, after two narrow loses to France and
Dominican Republic, Germany easily defeated
Jordan 96–62. With a record of (1–2) in group play, the team could not advance, and were sent into the classification phase to finish out the competition. Two years later, Germany went undefeated (4–0) during the
Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Split, Croatia, to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. At the
2020 Olympic Games, which was delayed until 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, Germany finished (1–2) in the preliminary phase. However, with the team being ranked as one of the best third-place finishers of the three groups, it was enough to advance. In the quarter-finals, Germany would progress no further, as they were eliminated in the round by Slovenia 86–70. At the
EuroBasket 2022, Germany co-hosted the competition for the second time. With Dennis Schröder back in the fold for the national team, after missing out on the 2020 Olympics, Germany entered the event with high hopes. Prior to Germany's
Group B opener against
France, the
German Basketball Federation held a ceremony to honour national team icon
Dirk Nowitzki, where his number 14 jersey was officially retired. After the conclusion of pre-game festivities, Germany would go on to capitalise on the emotions of the evening to win 63–76. Following Germany's victory over
Bosnia and Herzegivina in game two, the team prevailed in a tough double overtime battle versus
Lithuania 107–109. At a record of (3–0), the team would suffer their first defeat of the competition to Slovenia, before closing out the group stage with a win against
Hungary. After eliminating
Montenegro in the
Round of 16, Germany were up against
Giannis Antetokounmpo and
Greece in the quarter-finals. However, behind Germany's torrid shooting game, the team emphatically secured their place into the semi-finals for the first time in 17 years, with a 107–96 victory. There, the team would come up short against the eventual champions
Spain 91–96. With the bronze medal still in reach, Germany would defeat
Poland 82–69, to finish the tournament. Following Germany's third-place finish at the Euros in 2022, the team went through
European Qualifiers for the
2023 FIBA World Cup. Finishing with a (10–2) record during qualification, Germany confirmed their seventh World Cup appearance. Entering the event, Germany was poised to not replicate the underwhelming performance they exhibited at the 2019 World Cup, as the team completed the
preliminary phase of the competition at (3–0). Heading toward the
second round, after heavily defeating Georgia 100–73 in the first game, Germany displayed dominance after a slow start to rout
Luka Dončić and Slovenia 100–71. Led by team captain Dennis Schröder's (24 points and 10 assists), Germany would advance into the quarter-finals. There, Germany escaped a back and forth clash versus the surprise team of the tournament in
Latvia 81–79. At the semis, helped by the clutch performance of national team veteran
Andreas Obst and his (24 points), Germany eliminated the United States 111–113, to reach the
World Cup final for the first time in their history. In the title game, in a tightly contested affair, Germany defeated
Serbia 83–77 to become world champions. After the event, the consistent play throughout the tournament from Dennis Schröder earned him the
MVP award. Following Germany's triumph at the World Cup, the team entered the
2024 Olympic Games. Placed in Group B for the preliminary round, Germany defeated
Japan 97–77, to begin the tournament (1–0). The team went on to win their next two games of the round, to advance into the quarter-finals. There, they would knockout Greece 76–63, to reach the semi-finals of the Olympics for the first time. However, Germany would lose in the round to hosts France 73–69, to eventually go on to finish out the competition in fourth place. Germany entered
EuroBasket 2025 qualifying, where the team would conclude their campaign with a (4–2) record to make their 26th appearance on the continental stage. At the
finals, Germany were drawn into
Group B, where they began their tournament run with a comfortable 106–76 victory over Montenegro. Following their win, Germany closed out the group stage defeating their last four opponents by a combined margin of 134 points to advance. In the
Round of 16, Germany struggled through their first three quarters versus
Portugal, before surging in the final period to reach the quarter-finals. There, in a back-and-forth tussle, Germany outlasted Slovenia 99–91, to make it to their second consecutive semi-finals at the tournament. In a group stage rematch against
Finland, led by captain Dennis Schröder's (26 points and 12 assists), Germany prevailed 98–86, to return to the
final of the EuroBasket for the first time since 2005. With the title on the line, in a test of resilience, Germany defeated
Turkey 83–88, to win their second European championship. Following the competition, the composed play throughout the event from Dennis Schröder earned him tournament
MVP. ==Competitive record==