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Basketball

Basketball is the most globally popular American sport, the NBA and WNBA among the world's biggest leagues. The sport is also played in Europe (EuroLeague), Africa (BAL) and on the international stage (FIBA World Cup)

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All Content on this topic

Screenshot | Sendung 77 Percent

The 77 Percent — what it means to be a fighter

Could you be a fighter? With kickboxing pros like Jibrin Inuwa Baba, we look at what it means to fight your corner.
SocietyNovember 6, 202426:05 min
DW Sendung The 77 Percent

Breaking barriers with rap and basketball

Black Mamba was born with a disability and faced neglect from a young age. But she found refuge in music and sport.
SocietyOctober 23, 202402:45 min
Nyara Sabally, Sabrina Ionescu and Leonie Fiebrich celebrate winning the WNBA title

Fiebich and Sabally win WNBA championship for New York

German stars Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally helped the New York Liberty win their first WNBA championship.
SportsOctober 15, 2024
Dikembe Mutombo, the retired Congo-born NBA star, pictured in 2022

AfricaLink News October 1, 2024

Israel launches ground raids against Hezbollah in Lebanon +++ Over 55,000 Sudanese have fled to Uganda amid conflict
ConflictsOctober 1, 202403:10 min
Dikembe Mutombo attends the Fight For Children Honors Gala at The Anthem on May 19, 2022 in Washington, DC.

NBA star Dikembe Mutombo dies at 58 from brain cancer

The basketball legend, who played 18 seasons in the NBA, earned recognition as one of the league's best defenders.
SportsSeptember 30, 2024
A group of women put their hands in a circle, touching a pile of basketballs

Gambia's female basketballers take to the court

A growing number of girls and women are taking their place in Gambia's world of sports, inspiring the next generation.
SportsSeptember 30, 202402:19 min
Thumbnail Basketball Spielerin Rita Lamptey DW Eigendreh

Shooting for Change — Girls Basketball in Ghana

Basketball has changed Rita Lamptey's life, keeping her on track at school and connecting her to her community in Accra.
SportsSeptember 6, 202412:36 min
Franz Wagner leaps with a basketball in hand

Wagner leads German basketball team to Olympic semifinals

As Germany seek an Olympic medal, basketballer Franz Wagner's stratospheric rise continues apace in France.
SportsAugust 7, 2024
The 3x3 basketball team from Germany celebrate their win in front of a flag

Olympics: Germany win gold in 3x3 basketball

The latest German gold was a shock, with the women's team clinching a dramatic, and surprising, win in 3x3 basketball.
SportsAugust 6, 2024
South Sudan's Carlik Jones carries the ball against Devin Booker of the United States

South Sudan Olympic basketball team inspires a young nation

South Sudan is competing in Olympic basketball for the first time. The team's participation goes beyond sport.
SportsAugust 1, 2024
DW - Global Us | Basketball players on a court in South Sudan

Ambitious goals: Basketball in South Sudan

For many young people in South Sudan, basketball offers hope of a better life.
SportsJuly 10, 202406:38 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Finite fossil fuels: What if we run out of oil? - Global Us

Oil is a finite resource. Could we run out of it? And: Sport offers hope of a better life.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 5, 202426:04 min
Jerry West (wearing number 44) seen dribbling past Jim Washington and Bob Boozer (right) of the Chicago Bulls during a March 26, 1968, Western Division NBA playoff game

NBA: Jerry West, the Lakers' 'Mr. Clutch,' dies aged 86

No matter your age, if you've watched any NBA basketball game at all you may know Jerry West without realizing it.
SportsJune 13, 2024
Bill Walton takes part in a Q&A following "The Luckiest Guy in the World" world premiere during 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Austin Convention Center on March 15, 2023 in Austin, Texas

Bill Walton: Ex-NBA Hall of Fame player dies at 71

Basketball icon and former MVP Bill Walton has died after a prolonged battle with cancer.
SportsMay 28, 2024
DW Sendung The 77 Percent

The 77 Percent - The Magazine for Africa's Youth

In Tanzania, the heartland of Swahili, we ask how we can promote local languages while staying ahead in the world.
CultureMay 1, 202426:05 min
A wheelchair basketball player holding a basketball on a court in Benin

Disabled athletes in Africa changing the game

Not only are these athletes passionate about their sports, but they are changing perceptions of what they can do.
SportsApril 23, 202403:21 min
Screenshot | Sendung 77 Percent

What it Means to be a Fighter

Could you be a fighter? With kickboxing pros like Jibrin Inuwa Baba, we look at what it means to fight your corner.
SocietyApril 18, 2024
Clark shoots the ball over the outstretched hand of a rival in front of a large crowd of fans

Caitlin Clark: Sky the limit for college basketball star

American basketball star Caitlin Clark is the all-time women’s career scoring leader in NCAA history and No.1 WNBA pick.
SportsApril 16, 2024
LeBron James takes the shot to become the greatest scorer of all-time

The NBA's top 10 scorers

LA Lakers star LeBron James is the first NBA player to ever score 40,000 points.
SportsMarch 4, 202410 images
LeBron James, right, scores as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defends

LeBron James becomes first NBA player to reach 40,000 points

James scored nine points for the Los Angeles Lakers in a home game against the Denver Nuggets to achieve the milestone.
SportsMarch 3, 2024
The Ireland women's basketball team singing the national anthem, standing in a line with their hands on each other's shoulders

Irish women's basketball team refuses handshake with Israel

Ireland's female basketball team shunned usual pre-game courtesies when facing Israel in a EuroBasket qualifying match.
SportsFebruary 9, 2024
Italien Tennis ATP-Finale Novak Djokovic

Sport: Biggest stories in review in 2023

The year 2023 has been a busy year in sport. It has seen triumphs, upsets and farewells in the world of sport.
SportsDecember 31, 202302:05 min
Tel Aviv's Bloomfield Stadium.

Israel: Sports stop amid Hamas war and fears over security

Sports in Israel have come to a standstill as war with Hamas rages in Gaza.
SportsNovember 15, 2023
Germany basketball coach Gordon Herbert sits on the floor

Germany basketball coach Gordon Herbert on World Cup win

Germany head coach Gordon Herbert spoke to DW about his team’s togetherness and how to relieve pressure.
SportsSeptember 20, 2023
Indien Neu-Delhi | G20 Gipfel | Präsident Joko Widodo

AfricaLink on Air — 11 September 2023

G20 admits African Union as permanent member+++Zambian president in China
PoliticsSeptember 11, 202330:00 min
Germany celebrate winning the basketball World Cup

What's behind Germany's basketball World Cup win?

Germany made history by defeating Serbia to win their first World Cup. What's behind this achievement?
SportsSeptember 11, 2023
Germany celebrates after winning the championship game of the Basketball World Cup against Serbia in Manila, Philippines, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023.

Basketball: Germany topples Serbia in World Cup final

Germany has narrowly beaten Serbia in the FIBA Basketball World Cup final after a knife-edge matchup in Manila.
SportsSeptember 10, 2023
The German players and coach celebrate in a large huddle soon after the final buzzer.

Basketball: Germany stun favorites US in World Cup semifinal

Germany's national basketball team has beaten the US 113:111 reaching the FIBA World Cup final in a massive upset.
SportsSeptember 8, 2023
South Sudan celebrate

South Sudan's basketballers qualify for the Olympics

Former NBA star Luol Deng built a team from the diaspora that has brought joy to the world's youngest country.
SportsSeptember 8, 2023
Südsudan Jugendliche trainieren Basketball

'This little ball can change peoples' perceptions'

Former NBA star Luol Deng founded a baketball academy in South Sudan's capital Juba that is bringing people together.
SportsAugust 28, 202302:45 min
A man playing basketball is seen in mid-jump in front of a wall painted with JIP, the FIBA Basketball World Cup mascot.

World Cup comes to basketball-mad Philippines

One of the three hosts for the Basketball World Cup is the Philippines, where many street kids dream of making it big.
SportsAugust 25, 202301:38 min
Dennis Schröder dribbling against an American opponent

What you need to know about the FIBA World Cup

DW has the lowdown on the 19th edition of the men’s FIBA Basketball World Cup.
SportsAugust 24, 2023
Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner watches from the bench during a WNBA basketball game

Brittney Griner to miss 2 games to focus on mental health

The WNBA basketball star was released from a Russian jail in a prisoner swap last December.
SportsJuly 30, 2023
Picture combo showing Britney Spears in the left half of the frame (2018 photo), and Victor Wembanyama in the right (2023 photo).

Britney Spears: No charges for Wembanyama security over hit

Las Vegas police have said no charges will be filed after pop star Britney Spears filed a report alleging battery.
SportsJuly 8, 2023
South Sudan, Juba | Kids training at a Basketball Acadamy

South Sudan qualifies for 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

South Sudan made history by qualifying for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup on its very first try.
SportsJuly 8, 202302:44 min
A group of women on wheelchairs playing basketball, in Srinagar

Kashmir: Female wheelchair basketball players defy odds

Despite facing a raft of social and economic challenges, these women are determined to succeed on and off the court.
SocietyJuly 4, 202303:11 min
Picture of a woman holding a basketball

Mali: FIBA takes action after sexual abuse allegations

The International Basketball Federation issued a lifetime ban to the former coach of Mali's junior basketball team.
SportsJune 22, 2023
Victor Wembanyama is seen with basketball in a match with spectators

Victor Wembanyama: The 'alien' about to land in the NBA

Frenchman Victor Wembanyama is basketball's new Wunderkind. He's expected to join the NBA´s San Antonio Spurs.
SportsJune 21, 2023
A group of basketball players do exercises at a training center as their coach watches on

South Sudan: High hopes for young basketball players

A new basketball academy founded by former NBA player Luol Deng could provide a boost for aspiring athletes.
SportsJune 18, 20237 images
signed sports shoes

Michael Jordan's sneakers sold for record $2.2 million

The pair was worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan in the 1998 NBA finals. It got him his sixth and last title.
SportsApril 12, 2023
San Antonio Spurs center Pau Gasol, left, of Spain looks for an opening to the basket against Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki, right, of Germany in the first half of an NBA basketball game,Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, in Dallas.

NBA: Europeans Nowitzki, Parker, Gasol named to Hall of Fame

With Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame class has a European feel.
SportsApril 2, 2023
Stock image of a female basketball player holding a basketball in front of her face

Sexual abuse: How FIBA fail to protect Malian athletes

DW Exclusive: A teen whistleblower is suing basketball's governing body after being axed for reporting widespread abuse.
SportsJanuary 26, 2023
Viktor Bout boards a private jet in Abu Dhabi en route to Moscow

US traded arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner, but who is he?

Who is the man called "The Merchant of Death" and why did Moscow campaign so tirelessly for him?
PoliticsDecember 9, 2022
WNBA star Brittney Griner deplanes at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas

US basketball star Brittney Griner lands in Texas

Griner has returned to the US after over 10 months behind bars in Russia, including a stint in a penal colony.
Law and JusticeDecember 9, 2022
US Olympic basketball champion Brittney Griner

US basketball star Brittney Griner freed in prisoner swap

Following months of negotiations, Russia has released the US basketball player in exchange for a notorious arms dealer.
PoliticsDecember 8, 2022
Russian police escort US basketball star Brittney Griner

US basketball star Griner begins sentence in penal colony

Brittney Griner has begun serving her nine-year sentence at the IK-2 penal colony in central Russia.
PoliticsNovember 17, 2022
USA I Joe Biden will sich mit den Familienangehörigen von Griner und Paul Whelan, treffen

US basketball star Griner moved to Russian penal colony

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for possession of hashish oil in February and has been in detention since.
SportsNovember 9, 2022
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving looks out during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers

Fans turn up in 'fight antisemitism' shirts at NBA game

The shirts were a response to a social media post by Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.
SportsNovember 1, 2022
Brittney Griner appeals her sentence via video link

Russian court rejects Brittney Griner's appeal

Griner was arrested on February 17 with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil,
CrimeOctober 25, 2022
Dikembe Mutombo

Retired NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo battles brain cancer

NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, one of the best defenders in league history, is being treated for a brain tumor.
HealthOctober 16, 2022