SAN FRANCISCO – Before Dennis Schröder was a 12-year NBA veteran and international inspiration, he was a 16-year-old boy lost and unsure where his life would take him.
It was 2009. Like nearly every teen boy, he turned to his father, Axel, who, like him, wanted his son to pursue a career in basketball.
The younger Schröder had other interests, though, growing up in Braunschweig, Germany, such as skateboarding and soccer. He didn’t really find an interest in basketball until a later age.
But one conversation with his father changed everything.
Axel played pro basketball in Gambia, where he met his wife and Dennis’ mother, Fatou Schröder. But Axel wanted – and knew – his son could take his game to the next level in the greatest basketball league in the world.
“I mean, he was more of a supporter,” Schröder said of his father at his introductory press conference Tuesday after being traded to the Warriors. “He didn't really, really play. But he was my biggest supporter every time when I had practice, when I had a game, he came and we always talked about basketball.
“He always said, ‘This is what you can do for a living. You can help your whole family with it, carry the load for your family, making sure everybody's good.’ And he was right. He passed away after that conversation – six days later – and then everything switched for me.
Golden State Warriors
“The goal was to play in the NBA, and I'm still doing it. My 12th season now, and [I’m] more than grateful to be here and don’t take it for granted every single day, every single game, I'm going to go out and treat it like it’s my last. So it's great to do that for him.”
After his dad’s passing, Schröder wasted no time taking his late father’s advice.
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He began playing professional basketball in 2010 for SG Braunschweig, in which he averaged 7.8 points, 2.1 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game in his first year. The following season, he flourished, averaging 17.8 points and 6.7 assists in 23 games.
His team went to the playoffs, where he averaged 18.8 points and 5.1 assists over four games.
After another solid season the following year, he was named Basketball Bundesliga’s Most Improved Player as well as the league’s Best Young German Player. He then declared for the 2013 NBA Draft.
On June 27, 2013, Schröder was selected by the Atlanta Hawks at No. 17 overall.
Being the 17th overall pick was special to him for reasons beyond the obvious. The number had a sentimental meaning to him; it just so happened to also be his father’s favorite number.
So, of course, Schröder had to rock No. 17 on his jersey during his NBA debut with the Hawks – and, with the exception of one organization, every destination thereafter.
With the Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets, he has sported that one and seven across his chest.
During his short tenure with the Boston Celtics, he couldn’t wear No. 17 due to it being retired in honor of the late, great John Havlicek. Schröder improvised and chose No. 71 instead.
In his new home with the Warriors, he’s in a similar situation.
The No. 17, of course, is retired by Hall of Fame legend Chris Mullin. Schröder understands, and is OK with simply swapping the numbers. The last Warriors player to wear No. 71 was McCoy McLemore in 1965.
No. 71 looks good on you, @DS17_FG 🤩 pic.twitter.com/tWBMlsvQPd
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 18, 2024
Though 17 and 71 are 54 numbers away from each other, they’re one in the same in the eyes of Schröder.
“Yeah, I got to stay true to them,” Schröder said. “That was my dad's favorite number. Seventeen is emotional for me. To wear it every single night. I was the 17th pick also, so yeah, I just got to stick with it.”
While Axel wasn't able to witness who his son grew up to be and continues to be as a man, husband, father and teammate, there’s no doubt that Axel’s impact fueled his ambition to become a basketball icon on the global stage.
And that conversation he had with his father as a 16-year-old boy will be one he never forgets as a 31-year-old man and beyond, as he continues to embrace and honor his father’s legacy.
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