“You’re too dark”: Gilbert Arenas gets brutally honest on Dennis Schroder’s frustration about being overlooked in Germany compared to Dirk Nowitzki

August 25, 2025

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Since moving on to a career as an analyst via his podcast, Gilbert Arenas has been known to let out some outlandish takes. Over the weekend, he didn’t hold back his true thoughts regarding recent comments by an NBA journeyman.

Most summers, international players depart from their NBA teams to return home and play for their country’s national team. Among those who have done so regularly for Germany is veteran point guard Dennis Schroder. As international play ensues right now, he made some choice remarks about playing on the international stage.

Reflecting on his expeirence playing for the national team, Schroder noted that he’ll never get the same love and admirmation as Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. He believes that the main standing in the way of this is the color of his skin.

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During a livestream over the weekend, Gilbert Arenas was asked his thoughts on Schroder's outlook when it comes to his perception in Germany. He bluntly agreed that skin color could be an issue in this situation.

"That's obvious, duh," Arenas said. "You're too dark, I get it. That makes sense."

In his time with the German national team, Schroder has helped deliver them a pair of medals. They took home a gold medal in the World Cup in 2023 and won bronze in EuroBasket in 2022.

Gilbert Arenas defends Kobe Bryant following Jeff Teague's comments

In that same live stream, Gilbert Arenas came to the defense of LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He did so after fellow former player Jeff Teague slighted some of the Hall of Fame guard's accomplishments.

While on his Club520 podcast, Teague stated that he doesn't feel Bryant should be named to 12 All-Defensive teams.

"If you made it once or twice or three times, they just start putting you on there," Teague said. "I played Kobe bro, he wasn't guarding like that."

Based on his experiences playing against Bryant, Gilbert Arenas feels he is more than deserving of such accolades.

"From what I seen him do to the two guards on our team," Arenas said. "Yeah, he was like that. He shut a n**** down."

From 1999 to 2012, Bryant found himself on an All-Defense team in every season but one (2005). What makes this feat even more impressive is that in nine of the 12 instances, he was named to the All-Defense First Team.

Even though the majority of his career was played in the Eastern Conference, the minimal matchups were more than enough for Arena to give Bryant his credit on that end of the floor.

About the author

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in journalism and a bachelor's degree in Sports Management Marketing from Holy Family University.

Kevin has worked with various notable outlets throughout his career, including 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, Heavy Sports, and Sports Illustrated/FanNation, before joining Sportskeeda in March 2022.

Specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage, Kevin's passion for basketball stems from his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Among his favorite players are Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, and Steph Curry, while his all-time favorites include Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Kevin holds Coach K in high regard for the large input he's had on the game helping mold players across multiple generations. Kevin believes the iconic rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson helped elevate the league to its current status.

Through his writing, Kevin provides in-depth analysis and insights into player and coach quotes. He prioritizes sourcing information from credible and reliable outlets.

Kevin enjoys reading, aiming to finish at least one book per month, and he is a big fan of music.

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