I caught up with Detlef over lunch and enjoyed our one-on-one conversation at the Intercontinental Hotel coffee shop. He didn’t dodge a single question. We spoke for over an hour and he never looked at his watch to check on the time.
Of course, I had to ask him to name his all-time NBA first team. He gave it some thought before replying. "They’d have to be players I either played with or against," said Schrempf. His picks–Hakeem Olajuwon at center, Kevin McHale at power forward, Larry Bird at shooting forward, Michael Jordan at offguard and either John Stockton or Magic Johnson at point guard.
Schrempf, 40, said he could’ve played two or three more years when he retired from the NBA after the 1999-2000 season. But he decided to hang up his sneakers to spend more time with his two kids. "I wanted to see my kids grow up," he said. "Traveling in the NBA wouldn’t allow that." Schrempf and wife Mari, a German-black American former Olympic hurdler, are blessed with two sons, 13 and 11.
Schrempf said he met his wife in a TV studio in Germany in 1982. "We were both guests in a show," he recounted. "Mari had just set a new record in the 400-meter hurdles. I invited her to dinner after the show. Then, she’d visit me in the US and I’d visit her in Germany until finally, we decided to live together and raise a family."
On playing in the 1996 NBA Finals, Schrempf said it was tough guarding Jordan in the first two games then Scottie Pippen the last four. "We (Seattle SuperSonics) beat Utah in an emotional seven-game series to make it to the Finals," recalled Schrempf. "We were so drained. In the Finals, we lost the first three games to Chicago then won the next two. We just couldn’t come back from that 0-3 start. Jordan wasn’t the big factor in the series. It was (Dennis) Rodman who killed us. I think he averaged about 18 rebounds in the Finals."
A two-time Olympian, Schrempf said nothing compares to playing in the Olympics, not even the NBA Finals. "I played in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics," he continued. "I didn’t stay in a Ritz-Carlton. I stayed in the Athletes Village where we were packed like sardines in dormitories. But it was a great experience–meeting different people of different cultures. I loved it. It wasn’t about winning. I played for the German team that was eighth in 1984 and seventh in 1992."
Schrempf said he’s busy promoting charity events for his foundation in the Pacific Northwest and managing an equity fund portfolio for clients, including pro athletes. "I really don’t have time left to consider coaching basketball," he said. "I was asked by the Sonics once to help out their big guys but I couldn’t find the time. I was also asked to do TV commentary for Germany during the last World Championships and I couldn’t do that, too."
As for his toughest matchup, Schrempf singled out Bird because "I never knew what he’d be up to." The others who gave him fits were Karl Malone and Charles Barkley because "they outweighed me by about 30 pounds." Another formidable foe was Magic.
On losing to Bird in the shootout contest during the 1987 NBA All-Star Weekend, Schrempf said he was just happy to finish close to the top. "I always knew I could shoot the ball," he said. "I was just happy to be there. In the last round, I missed my first 10 shots, I think, then I made something like 13 of 15."
As the first European to make it to the NBA All-Star Game, Schrempf said he never thought of paving the way for others. "Looking back, it’s nice to see how many Europeans have gone on to play in the NBA," he said. "It was just a matter of time that the NBA opened up its borders. Does Dirk Nowitzki play like me? I don’t think so. He’s a tall guy who’s very talented, who can shoot the ball like nobody his size. He loves the game. We’re two different players. I guess people compare us because we’re both tall, blond and German."
Schrempf said he doesn’t root for any particular NBA team although he admits he follows the progress of Dallas and Seattle whom he played for. His kids, however, cheer for the Sonics. "I guess I’m partial to the Sonics because of my kids, because we know the players and we live in Seattle," he said.
This season, Schrempf said defending NBA champion San Antonio will be tough to beat because the Spurs nucleus of Tim
Duncan, Tony Parker, Malik Rose, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen and Kevin Willis is back. "If Shaq (O’Neal) shapes up and Kobe (Bryant) survives his trial, the Lakers will be tough, too," he noted. "Gary (Payton) and Malone will definitely help."
What tips can he give to players who want to shoot like him? "It’s all drills, repetition," replied Schrempf who shot over .400 from three-point range in his NBA career. "There’s no secret to it. Balance is important. Focus, concentration, hard work. You shoot one to two hours by yourself–200 to 500 shots, whatever. You shoot on the run, with motion and slide. You work on footwork, rotation of the ball, form, wrist action. When you’re tired, you shoot standing still. Shooting has to be automatic."
Has basketball become too commercialized? "Business is part of sports, now more so than before because salaries are so high and there are so many overpaid players," he said. "The hype is on individual players, not teams, so the emphasis is on spectacular plays which is why you see kids trying to make the reverse fingeroll instead of just getting the basket the easy way."
Schrempf said if the US State Department continues to finance his "Understand the Game" program, he hopes to return next year to bring his goodwill tour to the Visayas and Mindanao.
At the benefit dinner in Intramuros, Schrempf posed for hundreds of pictures with Joseph Uichico, Allan Caidic, Perry Ronquillo, Binky Favis, Siot Tanquincen, Art de la Cruz, among others, and signed autographs for hordes of fans. He never complained. The ambassador of hoops had a ready and sincere smile for everyone.
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