Germany reached historic heights in the Olympics basketball, qualifying for the semifinal stage for the first time in the country's history.

Nevertheless, Franz Wagner, one of Germany's biggest stars, did not forget his roots when talking about the legendary Dirk Nowitzki.

"I think I was seven when Dirk played in the Olympics and I think we've come a long way, and that's because of guys like him," Wagner admitted to BasketNews after the win against Greece. "It's up to us to keep that going forward and also to know who came before us and why we're here."

Player of the Game
	EFF 14
Johannes Thiemann
Points	10
Accuracy	4-6
Rebounds	6
Assists	0

Germany started slow and was down by 12 points at the beginning of the game, but celebrated a comfortable 76-63 win after finding its grove in the game.

Wagner emphasized how important it will be to keep the momentum going.

"I think everybody on the team knows that we have a special group, and we want to get the most out of this," Wagner said. "I think that's motivation enough. I think last year was special, but we're trying to continue that and, hopefully, keep the momentum going forward."

Franz Wagner

Credit FIBA

Despite a great performance in the Paris Olympics so far and a win in the FIBA Basketball World Cup last year, Gordon Herbert, the head coach and a key figure inside the team, will leave his national team duties after the Olympics.

Wagner revealed that it will be sad to see Herbert go.

"I'm not gonna lie, it hurts that he's leaving. I really like playing for him," Wagner revealed. "I think he is great and leads the dynamic in the group. He has a good balance of giving structure and also letting us play our basketball and gives us a lot of freedom."