They say besides every great man is an even greater woman. Life gets that much sweeter as well when the woman is supportive of her man’s decisions and career (as well as vice versa). A recent story of an NBA player and the backstory/end result of his deal has achieved viral status with many poking fun at the player. However, his wife is stepping out to claim that no matter what, that’s her man… and she’s going to stick beside him.
German Basketball player Dennis Schroder became the subject of online scrutiny after it was found out that he turned down what could have been a major deal for him. He began his basketball career playing overseas before being drafted to the NBA in 2013. He would soon begin to play for the Atlanta Hawks.
His career would lead him then from the Hawks to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then in November of 2020, it was announced that he would be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for their first-round pick and Danny Green.
But when the Lakers offered to extend his contract with a four-year extension worth around $84 million, Schroder shockingly turned it down. According to reports, Schroder was an unrestricted free agent and had his sights on a bigger and more lucrative deal.
When asked why he chose not to re-sign with the Lakers, Schroder responded to the Los Angeles Times, “The Lakers, they didn’t do nothing to me. They been great. They got the top two players [LeBron James and Anthony Davis] in the league,” he explained. “Everybody in the locker room is great, so at the end of the day, like I said, I want to be here and win the championship. That’s not even a question.”
The point guard added, “It wasn’t about money, because everybody who knows me, it’s not about money either. Of course, you want to be fair. But at the end of the day, not everything is about money — for me and my family. At the end of the day, if everything is good, we gonna come back and win a championship next year.”
Well, things did not go as expected for Schroder, with the Lakers eventually signing Russell Westbrook. However this past Tuesday, he announced on his Instagram that he would be playing with the Boston Celtics in the upcoming NBA season. Sources have revealed to ESPN that the deal is for one year and worth a $5.9 million taxpayer midlevel exception.
Dennis Schroder announces via Instagram he’s going to the Boston Celtics: pic.twitter.com/SBgXSdeOP4
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 10, 2021
Social media, as well as members of the news media, quickly riddled the NBA player with jokes for his decision as he lost out on about $80 million. Who did not, was his wife, Ellen Schroder.
Taking to Instagram, she expressed her support and encouragement for her husband. “I’m so proud of my husband that he made this decision to stay true to himself and to fight for his goals and his vision!” Schroder wrote. “I know not everyone understands this…they would choose money before anything else…but let me tell you: show some love, be patient and watch what will happen next.”