While the Bavarians are toiling in the preseason, Andreas Obst and Nick Weiler-Babb are now actually fighting for a place in the European Championship finals on Friday; Vladimir Lucic and Ognjen Jaramaz, meanwhile, are still recovering from the summer on national assignment for a few days. In the "Euro Diary" they report on the adventure at the EuroBasket 2022 - today again Andi, about whom @ole_frerks tweeted after the quarterfinals: "The shot from Andi Obst deserves its own wing in the Guggenheim."
"The shot."
I started playing basketball when I was eight years old. Back then, the ball would occasionally touch the hoop when I shot. Sometimes. I shot with both hands then.
And then with one hand, but that started just a bit later. My first youth coach, Mrs. Koch at USV Halle, taught me the basics. And then I watched a lot on TV, at European Championships and at the World Championships.
That's why it's so important for basketball to be on TV. You need people to watch.
With me: Nobody has to tell him, please, but among other things, I really liked Marko Pesic's shot, even though he was left-handed. The way he held the ball, the shooting and arm movement, that was beautiful to watch; Desmond (Greene) also shot a beautiful shot, and later I especially liked Ray Allen's form.
I think by the time I was about 13, I had the shot together that I have now.
The pass can actually go wherever it wants. Of course, it's cooler if it goes right into my hands. But I can compensate for inaccuracies. That's what I'm training for: correcting my feet after the pass, turning my hips correctly, always being stable, however the ball comes.
I'm not really an overachiever, but I'm ambitious: before practice I aim for 100 or 200 shots. And then maybe another 50 threes with game intensity. Endurance and strength are also a factor, of course, and in the last year or two I've changed my training a bit for core stability.
Of course I've seen 'The Perfect shot', the film about Dirk Nowitzki. Holger Geschwindner virtually calculated and invented Dirk's shot physically. It's crazy. Everyone has his own way of believing in something, and Dirk's performance speaks for itself.
I am happy with my shot, not even my individual coach Emilio has anything to complain about. He just says: 'Bring your weapons to the game and shoot.'
So I shoot. I don't need the ball for very long. I really only need it with me for a very short time."
Three-pointer specialist Andreas Obst, 26, has a field goal percentage of 51 percent in his first European Championship.
(c) FIBA