Germany’s Dennis Schroder was the target of racist abuse during his team’s EuroBasket victory over Lithuania on Saturday.
The Sacramento Kings guard, who captains the German national team, was subjected to monkey noises from fans while walking to the locker room at halftime in Finland.
Schroder told reporters in German after the game: ‘Making monkey noises – that’s something I don’t respect.
‘No matter what status, insults, that’s all fine. But racism simply doesn’t belong in this sport. That’s something that’s not OK.’
Two spectators were identified as the alleged perpetrators and were immediately ejected from the arena.
FIBA later confirmed that one individual, identified through video footage, has been banned from attending the remainder of the tournament.
Germany’s Dennis Schroder was the target of racist abuse during his team’s EuroBasket game
Two spectators were identified as the alleged perpetrators and were ejected from the arena
‘FIBA unequivocally condemns hate speech, discriminatory conduct and racist language in any form,’ the organization said in a statement.
‘Creating an inclusive, respectful and safe environment for players, teams, and fans remains a fundamental priority of our sport.’
FIBA also said it would meet with the Lithuanian delegation to address the incident. Local law enforcement authorities are continuing to investigate.
Germany’s interim head coach Alan Ibrahimagic, filling in for Alex Mumbru due to illness, confirmed that Schroder was clearly disturbed by what happened.
‘I noticed that Dennis was very upset – and rightly so,’ he said. ‘Such things have no place in sports or competition. We hope this will calm down and can be resolved somehow.’
Despite the appalling incident, Schroder delivered a standout performance on the court, scoring a game-high 26 points in Germany’s 107–88 win.
The reigning World Cup champions are now 3–0 in group play and have secured their place in the round of 16 in Riga, Latvia.
The episode has cast a shadow over an otherwise dominant German campaign and sparked fresh calls for stronger anti-racism protocols at international tournaments.