Dennis Schroder came back to the Los Angeles Lakers last summer on a veteran minimum deal when he did not have many suitors.
Schroder’s first stop in L.A. did not go as planned with the Lakers coming off a championship and aspiring to repeat. Injuries piled up and resulted in an early first-round exit against the Phoenix Suns. But Schroder came back to right some wrongs and did, being a part of the Western Conference Finals team averaging 12.6 points and 4.6 assists shooting 41.5% from the field and 32.9% from 3.
The German guard had a lot of key moments throughout the season and that earned him a two-year, $26 million contract with the Toronto Raptors where he can potentially be the starting point guard. But, Schroder’s offseason got even better as he brought Germany its first gold medal in the FIBA World Cup with a win over Serbia in the tournament finale. He was named MVP for his efforts.
Former Lakers teammate LeBron James took to Instagram to congratulate the guard on such a monumental accomplish and moment for his country of Germany:
LeBron James congratulates Dennis Schroder for winning the World Cup pic.twitter.com/umetwu8rOr
— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) September 10, 2023
Schroder scored a game-high 28 points in the gold medal game, showing how instrumental he was throughout the tournament.
It was commendable for the guard to come back to L.A. to fix the problems he left back in 2021 and the rumored contract extension that was offered by L.A. but reportedly declined. Schroder brought so much energy in every game he played and energized fans with his hustle plays.
The beginning of the 2022-23 season was not pretty, but once reinforcements came, Schroder was a vital piece off the bench and provided whatever was needed depending on how the game was going. He also brought the ‘freeze’ celebration that was used constantly throughout the remainder of the season and will be an iconic celebration for the Lakers moving forward.
While Schroder’s performances were up and down at times, his effort and energy were never in doubt and that was special about him as a player and why he was so close with his teammates like James. Now, he heads to Toronto with a new deal and a gold medal, which will bode well for his confidence this upcoming season.
Why Christian Wood took so long to sign with L.A.
The Lakers were finally able to sign someone with their 14th roster spot, that being center Christian Wood. It was a drawn-out process waiting to see who would eventually get signed to that spot, but it is rumored that Wood was waiting to see if trades materialized, opening a bigger role for him.
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