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Basketball

Basketball is the most globally popular American sport, the NBA and WNBA are the world's top leagues. The sport is also played in Europe (EuroLeague), Africa (BAL) and on the international stage (FIBA World Cup)

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All Content on this topic

German basketball player Joshiko Saibou

German basketball team cuts player over coronavirus protest

Basketball player Joshiko Saibou was released after partaking in a protest against Germany's coronavirus restrictions.
SportsAugust 10, 2020
People wear face masks outside in the French city of Quiberon, where a local outbreak of coronavirus was discovered in July 2020

Coronavirus digest: France says second wave 'highly likely'

Experts in France — a former coronavirus hotspot — have warned that a second wave of infections after summer is likely.
HealthAugust 4, 2020

Wheelchair basketball: How disabled do you have to be?

Germany's wheelchair basketball player Barbara Groß is no longer allowed to play for her country. Outrage has been great
SportsAugust 3, 2020
Basketballers are tested on the court

Black Lives Matter as NBA returns

The restart of the NBA season is as much about spreading a societal message as playing basketball games.
SportsJuly 30, 2020
Aleksandar Vucic, Präsident

Serbian president pursues coaching dream amid pandemic

Critics of Aleksandar Vucic scoffed that focusing on a team sport might do the politician good.
PoliticsJuly 19, 2020
USA Maximilian Kleber Basketball Dallas Mavericks

Maxi Kleber 'confident' in NBA return plan

With the NBA season set to resume this month, DW spoke with Mavericks center Maxi Kleber about the risks of returning.
SportsJuly 10, 2020

Satou Sabally: A German basketball star in the making

New in Dallas, Sabally talked about missing German breakfasts, Gambian hospitality and her engagement against racism.
SportsApril 19, 2020
NBA - Dirk Nowitzki

The 'Fever Game' that changed Nowitzki's legacy

DW looks at Game 4 of the 2011 NBA finals, known as Dirk Nowitzki's 'Fever Game.'
SportsApril 11, 2020
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Keeping fit at home

Germany‘s biggest basketball club, Alba Berlin, is helping kids who are stuck at home to keep fit.
HealthMarch 26, 202001:39 min
BG Kobe Bryant Tribute | Australien

Kobe Bryant: A basketball legend in street art

Many artists have depicted Kobe in murals in public spaces, some doing so since his recent death in a helicopter crash.
SportsJanuary 31, 202011 images
BG Kobe Bryant Tribute | Los Angeles

Tribute to Kobe Bryant

The LA Lakers will return to the court Friday night, for their first game since former team-mate Kobe Bryant was killed.
January 31, 202003:04 min
Emergency crews at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant

Foggy weather scrutinized in Kobe Bryant crash

The pilot's final radio transmission revealed he would climb to avoid a cloud layer, investigators say.
PoliticsJanuary 28, 2020
BG Kobe Bryant | Kobe Bryants letztes Spiel (2016)

The legacy of Kobe Bryant

NBA superstar Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash, putting an abrupt halt to a lifetime of success.
SportsJanuary 27, 20208 images
USA Basketball Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant

Tributes pour in for late Kobe Bryant

Former teammate Shaquille O'Neal said there were "no words to express the pain."
SportsJanuary 27, 2020
BG Kobe Bryant | Kobe mit seiner Tochter Gianna (2019)

Kobe Bryant, daughter die in helicopter crash

The 41-year-old athlete was considered one of the best basketball players of his generation.
SportsJanuary 26, 2020
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Zack Ho, basketball player turned activist

Promising basketball player has all but given it up for Hong Kong street protests
PoliticsJanuary 21, 202000:26 min
Berlin | Basketballspieler Dirk Nowitzki und weitere frewillige erhalten Verdienstorden

How nations honor their sporting heroes

The German president has presented Dirk Nowitzki with the Order of Merit. Here, we look at traditions in other nations.
SportsDecember 3, 201913 images
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Germany: Alba fires cheerleaders

Basektball team Alba Berlin decided to drop cheerleaders from their games.
SportsOctober 26, 201902:29 min
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World Stories – The Week in Reports

Turkey: deportation to war zones, Ethiopia: the big drought, Germany: no more cheerleaders
October 26, 201912:36 min
China Bayern München Fan trägt Trikot von Spieler Thomas Müller in Schanghai

China: A huge sporting market with strings attached

As the controversy with the NBA has shown, while the rewards are enormous, doing business in China can be challenging.
SportsOctober 17, 2019
NBA China Games 2019 | Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets

No protests but NBA's rift with China remains

Despite fears of protest or even cancellation the NBA's preseason match went ahead but with some political intrigue.
SportsOctober 10, 2019
German basketball player Dennis Schröder

Thieves break into basketball star Dennis Schröder's house

Thieves in Germany stole over €500,000 worth of items from the house of NBA player Dennis Schröder over the weekend.
CrimeOctober 7, 2019
Cheerleaders perform during an Alba Berlin game

Alba Berlin axes cheerleader performances

The Berlin basketball team's CEO said cheerleader shows during breaks were "no longer suited to our times."
SportsSeptember 30, 2019
Basketball World Cup 2019, Dennis Schröder is blocked by two Canadian players, Kyle Wiltjer and Khem Birch; September 9.

Basketball: Germany's woeful World Cup

The German team at least ended on a positive note with a win against Canada, but that does little to dispel the doubts.
SportsSeptember 9, 2019
Basketball Hamburg Supercup Deutschland - Tschechien

How negativity motivates players

How do you get your team fired up for the second half? A surprising new study suggests you should use negative language.
ScienceAugust 28, 2019
Basketball Australien - USA

US-Australia basketball: Fans voice anger at seating

Basketball fans who paid for expensive seats at a USA-Australia match in Melbourne say they have been ripped off.
SportsAugust 23, 2019
Deutschland Dirk Nowitzki in Leverkusen

Dirk Nowitzki: Life after basketball

Since walking away from basketball, Dirk Nowitzki has been doing things he could never do before.
SportsJuly 3, 2019
Charlotte Hornets Tony Parker

Basketball hero Tony Parker retires

Parker had an illustrious career playing in the NBA, which included four championships.
SportsJune 10, 2019
Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter

Turkish TV drops Kanter's playoff games

The NBA Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and the Trail Blazers won't be broadcast on Turkish TV.
SportsMay 15, 2019
Dallas Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki farewell game

Dirk Nowitzki: 'I gave it everything I had'

After his final Dallas Mavericks game, Nowitzki told DW why San Antonio was a special place for his farewell.
SportsApril 11, 2019
Kommentarbild von Andreas Sten-Ziemons

Opinion: Dirk Nowitzki – a legend both on and off the court

Andreas Sten-Ziemons
There will never be another like Dirk Nowitzki, writes DW's Andreas Sten-Ziemons
SportsApril 10, 2019
Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki retires from the NBA

German basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki has announced his retirement after playing 21 seasons for the Dallas Mavericks.
SportsApril 10, 2019
Basketball in Africa

NBA announces new Africa basketball league

The 12-team professional league in Africa will start playing in January 2020.
SportsFebruary 16, 2019
Deutschland Sport Basketball Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki: The 6th best NBA scorer of all time

It's been 20 years since Dirk Nowitzki made his NBA debut. DW looks back on his illustrious career so far.
SportsFebruary 5, 201913 images
Enes Kanter türkischer NBA Basketballspieler

Authorities in Turkey seek arrest of Turkish NBA player

Authorities in Turkey seek the arrest of Turkish NBA basketball star Enes Kanter
SportsJanuary 18, 2019
Isaiah Hartenstein (picture-alliance/AP Images/AP Photo/D. Zalubowski)

German basketball players in the NBA

Dirk Nowitzki may be gone, but there are still plenty of German basketball players in the NBA.
SportsOctober 16, 20186 images
Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki poses for a photo during a media event

Mavericks' Nowitzki to come off bench this season

The German NBA veteran is ready to come off the bench after starting for Dallas Mavericks during his first 20 seasons.
SportsSeptember 22, 2018
Japan playing Qatar at Asian Games

Basketballers sent home for 'night with women'

Four Japanese basketballers have been kicked out from the Asian Games in Jakarta for paying prostitutes for sex.
SportsAugust 20, 2018
A brawl between the Philippines and Australia basketball teams

Philippines 'sorry' for brawl at World Cup qualifier

Australian officials said their players were "bruised and battered" after a strike with an elbow triggered a huge fight.
SportsJuly 3, 2018
LeBron James

LeBron James to sign with LA Lakers

One of the NBA's greatest players will leave his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time in eight years.
SportsJuly 2, 2018
Deutschland Sport Basketball Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki: A wunderkind turns 40

Germany's greatest basketball player has just turned 40. DW looks back on his illustrious career so far.
SportsJune 19, 201812 images
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LeBron James, record setter

The basketball player has reached the NBA Finals in the last eight seasons.
May 28, 201801:20 min
USA Major League Baseball. File photo showing Houston Astros v Los Angeles Dodgers Finale

US states may now legalize sports betting - Supreme Court

The highest court in the United States struck down a federal law barring gambling on sports in most states.
SportsMay 14, 2018
USA China - US-Basketball-Spieler kehren zurück nach Haft in China

Trump prods basketball players freed in China to thank him

Three UCLA freshmen were released from detention in China after the president interceded on their behalf.
LifestyleNovember 15, 2017
Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki: 'The big mummy' embarks on a 20th NBA season

As the NBA returns to action, so does Dirk Nowitzki, the greatest German player of all time.
SportsOctober 17, 2017
Adidas trend shoes

FBI probes Adidas in basketball bribery case

Sportswear trendsetter Adidas is caught red-handed in corruption scandal.
BusinessOctober 5, 2017
Türkei FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Slowenien - Serbien

Slovenia tops Serbia for first EuroBasket title

Despite injuries late, Slovenia held on to defeat Serbia to win their first-ever EuroBasket title.
SportsSeptember 18, 2017
USA Dirk Nowitzki, Auszeichnung Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year

Dirk Nowitzki wins NBA teammate award

Dirk Nowitzki was awarded the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award.
SportsJune 27, 2017
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@dwnews - Fans hail Golden State Warriors' NBA win

SportsJune 15, 201705:56 min
USA Basketball NBA Golden State Warriors - Cleveland Cavaliers

Golden State Warriors chasing post-season perfection

The Golden State Warriors are one win away from a perfect postseason.
SportsJune 8, 2017