Detlef Schrempf

Basketball player Detlef Schrempf represented West Germany at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, finishing eighth. He also played for re-unified Germany at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, finishing seventh. In total, he won 71 international caps and was considered one of the best German basketball players of his time. In his youth, Schrempf played with TuS Bayer 04 Leverkusen until 1980, but then moved to the US to eventually play in the NBA.

In the United States, Schrempf played with Centralia High School Washington (1980-81), University of Washington (1981-85), Dallas Mavericks (1985-89), Indiana Pacers (1989-93), Seattle SuperSonics (1993-99) and Portland Trail Blazers (1999-2001). In 1992, he was named Player of the Year in Germany.

After accepting US citizenship, Schrempf was expatriated and his German passport was confiscated because, according to his own statements, he had failed to apply for a retention permit. He married Mary Wagner, a former non-Olympian athlete. In 1996, Schrempf established the “Detlef Schrempf Foundation” to help local charities. His foundation hosted the “Detlef Schrempf Celebrity Golf Classic” at McCormick Woods Golf Course in Port Orchard, Washington, every summer and raised millions of dollars for children’s charities. He also had a brief stint as an assistant coach in the NBA.