Germany’s national team captain, Dennis Schroder, was racially abused during his side’s EuroBasket win over Lithuania on Saturday, August 30, 2025, with fans making monkey noises from the stands.
Two spectators were ejected after the incident, and FIBA later confirmed that one of them has been banned from attending the rest of the tournament.
The German Basketball Association also backed the action taken against the offenders.
Schroder, who recently joined the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, called out the abuse after the game.
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“Making monkey noises, that’s something I don’t respect. Insults are part of the game, that’s fine. But racism simply doesn’t belong in this sport. That’s something that’s not OK,” he told reporters in German, per ESPN.
Germany’s head coach, Alan Ibrahimagic, said his captain’s anger was justified:
“I noticed that Dennis was very upset, and rightly so. Such things have no place in sports or competition.”
FIBA issued its own statement condemning racism in all forms and confirmed that the matter had been referred to local law enforcement.
Schroder still led by example on the court, scoring 26 points in Germany’s 107-88 win.
The reigning world champions advance to the round of 16, carrying strong momentum, even as the tournament was marred by the ugly scenes in the stands.
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