I know in the NBA you’ve been a journeyman, but we always see you with the number 17. Is there a reason for that number? Can you share the story about that number 17?” Dennis Schroeder: “I can say it. My dad passed away when I was 15, you know, and he was one of my biggest supporters ever. He was a guy who gave me the vision to be able to help my family financially, making sure that they were stable, that everybody was good. And he said, ‘Yo, you can do it with basketball.’ Basketball back in the day was like — nobody played it in Germany, kind of, if that makes sense. Everybody was on soccer, and I did so many other things. I played soccer, did ping pong, of course basketball and skateboarding, and I wasn’t really committed. But then my dad passed away, and a week before, we had a conversation. He was like, ‘Yo, listen. I know that you are able to help the family in a big way if you go to basketball and you commit to basketball.’ And, yeah, when he passed away, 17 was his favorite number. In the youth club in Europe, you can’t go above 15. Fifteen is the top number and you can’t go above it. But then when I got older and played pro league, I went to 17. I had my best years with the number 17 as well. Got picked 17 by the Atlanta Hawks in 2013. Our first bronze medal with the German national team at the Euros was after 17 years again.

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Dennis Schroeder reveals the story behind number 17 and his father's dying wish for him to pursue basketball