Álex Mumbrú says Duane Washington Jr. is not an option for Germany

Duane Washington Jr., the guard for FC Bayern Munich, is not an option for the German national basketball team, head coach Álex Mumbrú confirmed following a EuroLeague match. Despite recent speculation that the 26-year-old former NBA player could suit up for Germany after obtaining a German passport, Mumbrú decisively shut down the prospect during a press conference in Munich, n-tv.de and basketball-world.news reported.

National Team Roster Direction Under Mumbrú

Following an 87-94 EuroLeague loss to Virtus Bologna, Mumbrú addressed media inquiries regarding Washington’s potential integration into the Deutscher Basketball Bund program. When asked specifically by basketball-world.news if the Bayern guard was an option, Mumbrú answered with a direct Nein.

Wir sind superglücklich mit den deutschen Spielern, die wir haben. Nicht nur bei Bayern, in der ganzen BBL haben wir viel Niveau. Wir setzen unseren klaren Stil fort, die besten deutschen Spieler in der Nationalmannschaft zu haben, die uns repräsentieren.

Álex Mumbrú via basketball-world.news

In parallel reporting from n-tv.de, the coach reiterated that the team remains committed to its established path of calling up the top domestic talent currently available across the Basketball Bundesliga.

Frankfurt Birth and Recent Performance at Bayern Munich

Washington was born in Frankfurt am Main and recently reinforced his openness to representing the DBB once his German passport paperwork clears. The guard arrived at Bayern Munich ahead of the current season following a stint with Partizan Belgrad and has quickly established a prominent role on the floor. During the fixture against Virtus Bologna, Washington recorded 18 points and five assists before the final buzzer, though his offensive output could not prevent Bayern from dropping their third game in four continental contests.

Mumbrú Faces His National Team Players

The match carried distinct personal weight for Mumbrú, who manages Virtus Bologna concurrently with his national team commitments. On the opposing side stood five reigning European champions from his DBB squad: Andreas Obst, Johannes Thiemann, Johannes Voigtmann, Oscar da Silva, and Justus Hollatz. Ich liebe sie alle, es sind auch meine Spieler. Für mich ist es wirklich schwer, überhaupt mit ihnen zu reden. Aber am Ende sind sie Wettkämpfer, Super-Wettkämpfer, Mumbrú told basketball-world.news regarding the emotional dynamic of coaching against his national team players.

Bayern players acknowledged the unique reunion, with da Silva noting to MagentaTV that the squad caught up during the morning shootaround before Bologna successfully executed a tactical game plan. While European competition presents early hurdles for Munich, domestic play remains pristine.