FIBA World Champions Germany have emerged victorious at the 2025 EuroBasket after defeating Turkey 83-88 in the gold medal game. Dennis Schroder, who plays for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, won the 2025 EuroBasket MVP Award for leading Germany to the gold medal.
Coming into the gold medal game, the Rockets' forward Alperen Sengun was a fan-favorite to win the tournament MVP award, but Schroder earned it with his performance when it mattered the most for Germany. However, Sengun did have a strong case for deserving the tournament's MVP award.
Fans on social media were divided over this award. While some fans believed Schroder deserved the award for leading the champions, others argued it belonged to the most consistent player of the tournament, Sengun.
"Sengun robbed," wrote a fan on X.
"Sengun should have been the MVP."
"Sengun's time will come. Schroder's built differently."
Some fans even started comparing Schroder to Michael Jordan while he is representing Germany.
"FIBA Schroder is the BEST Schroder."
"Bigger than Dirk Nowitzki in German history."
"Such a beast in FIBA! Magic should’ve signed him! Pair him with his countryman."
Dennis Schroder finished the tournament averaging 20.3 points, 7.2 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game. In comparison, Alperen Sengun averaged 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game while playing the same number of games. Sengung and Schroder played together for a short stint in the Rockets.
While both Sengun and Schroder made the tournament's All-Star five, Sengun led all players with seven 'Player of the Game' awards in this series. He became the youngest player to score a triple-double at an EuroBasket game and broke the single-season record for offensive rebounds at EuroBasket. At a young age of 23, Sengun has the entire basketball world excited for the next stage of his growth.
Meanwhile, Schroder was arguably not even the hands-down best player on his own team. His teammate, Franz Wagner, arguably had an equal contribution in Germany's victory as he also made the tournament's All-Star five. He averaged 20.8 points, 3.4 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. Therefore, Schroder had a lot more help than Sengun did, but Turkey fought hard to win that silver medal.
But we must acknowledge that on an international level, Dennis Schroder's resume is absolutely stacked now. He has the gold medal for both major FIBA events: the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 EuroBasket, winning the MVP at both events. At the 2024 Olympics, Schroder was named to the All-Tournament First Team. He also has a bronze medal from the 2022 edition of EuroBasket.
While fans may continue to argue who deserved this award, it is undeniable that Dennis Schroder is building a Basketball Hall of Fame-level career.