Germany’s EuroBasket victory was sweet. For Dennis Schroder, it was sweeter. On his birthday, he hit the clutch dagger, bagged the tournament’s MVP, and ended a 32 drought for the country. Still, he wasn’t entirely pleased with all the outcomes. Notably, while celebrating on the bus, he let some of his thoughts slip.

EuroBasket elected Turkey’s Ergin Ataman as the tournament’s best coach. Schroder clearly didn’t agree with the decision. “Ataman, f**k out of here! Best Coach? My a**!” he said while Germany’s celebrations were underway on their bus. Surprisingly, this wasn’t his only dig at the Turkey coach.

Ataman made comments about being in “control” of the Finals. It did feature 11 lead changes. Barring a Schroder flurry, maybe Turkey could have sniffed victory. But the German cornerstone made his feelings clear about those comments, too. “I kiss your heart,” he wrote on his Instagram stories.

However, Germany did grab a lot of the silverware from the competition. Of course, Schroder’s leadership and consistency saw him win MVP honors. His teammate, Isaac Bonga, secured the best defensive player honors for his two-way play. In the Finals, the former Lakers forward was instrumental, scoring 20 points, along with a steal and a block.

Dennis Schroder was probably hoping to see their head coach, Alex Mumbru, win best coach. After all, the tactician led Germany to an unscathed victory. On the way, they had the most prolific offense, and Mumbru’s talent management was on point. However, even with that considered, Ergin Ataman’s victory was well deserved, too.

Ergin Ataman and Turkey’s battle against Dennis Schroder’s Germany

If Germany was first, Turkey too was second. In terms of talent on the team, they weren’t as packed as some other teams in the competition. Yet, in the group stage, they managed to beat Nikola Jokic and Serbia. Alperen Sengun served as the engine of the team. Ataman was the brains of the entire operation.

Turkey played with heart, fearless of anybody they faced. Even when they felt underappreciated, Ataman’s vision was clear. Turkey is battling for a medal.

That led to some inspiring performances throughout the knockout stages. When facing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece, the team held the Greek Freak to just 12 points. Even against Germany, they fought valiantly. Turkey hadn’t achieved a podium in 24 years, also the last time they made the EuroBasket finals.

Still, if you wonder whether Ergin Ataman will take offense to Schroder’s remark, it might not be the case. His aim wasn’t just to achieve the Podium. His eyes were always on the gold. And since it didn’t happen, he didn’t think much of Turkey’s improbable silver medal. “When I lose, I never take any positives. We may look at some positive things tomorrow, or the next days. Nothing positive for me now,” he said.

But so much came out of it. Sengun and Co. spared the flames of Turkey once again. And with Ataman at the helm, the benchmark has been set. It could be a revolutionary change coming for them if they can build on this sensational EuroBasket campaign. Do you think they will succeed in doing so?