In a bizarre series of events, the Atlanta Hawks suspended starting point guard Dennis Schroder for Friday’s game against the Miami Heat after he failed to report to the team on time after the All-Star break.
Hawks suspend Dennis Schroder for 1 game after visa problem
The point guard failed to report to the team after spending the All-Star break in Germany.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Schroder, who spent All-Star weekend in Germany, reportedly had a problem with his visa and wasn’t able to return to the United States until Thursday night — causing him to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
The 23-year-old point guard has yet to miss a game this season up to this point, and the circumstances behind this suspension are strange, to say the least.
The Germany native said he replaced his passport before a game against the Toronto Raptors earlier this season but forgot to include his new visa, preventing him from returning to the United States:
“I replaced my passport and didn’t realize that I had to put my new visa in there,” Schroder said Friday. “The Hawks organization and the NBA tried to get me as soon as possible a meeting with the consulate. We didn’t make it in time. I’m sorry for me, my teammates and the organization.”
Schroder corroborated this story on Twitter after finally obtaining his visa on Thursday:
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said he was disappointed Schroder didn’t return to the team in a timely fashion:
“Dennis has played an important role for our team and has been a significant contributor to our success this season,” Budenholzer said. “We are disappointed that he did not return to the team on time and we have discussed this with him. We look forward to him rejoining the team in Orlando tomorrow night.”
Schroder responded by saying he was also disappointed about how everything played out, but ultimately accepts the team’s decision.
He’s had a strong season so far for the Hawks, averaging a career-high 17.5 points and 6.3 assists per game. Backup point guard Malcolm Delaney will start in his place against the Heat, according to Vivlamore.
Atlanta’s 32-24 record is good in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and Schroder’s breakout season has been a major factor in that. But the team is just 5-5 in their last 10 games, making Schroder’s absence for Friday’s game even more detrimental to the team.
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