AS Monaco Basketball has welcomed a new superstar to the Roca Team: Daniel Theis. In a recent interview with the club, the 32-year-old German international and experienced NBA player, who has signed a deal to stay with the Principality side until the end of the 2025/26 season, revealed his ambitions and motivations for the bold move.
On Monday 17th February, AS Monaco Basketball announced that world champion Daniel Theis would be joining the Roca Team for the rest of the 2024/25 season and the next.
At 32, Theis brings a wealth of experience from both Germany and the US. He has spent the last seven seasons in the NBA and was reportedly eager to return to the EuroLeague after an eight-year absence. His last appearance in Europe’s top-tier competition came with Bamberg, before he moved to the US.
His NBA career began in 2017 with the Boston Celtics, but he has also played for several top US teams, including the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans. Most recently, he was traded to Oklahoma City Thunder.
Standing at 2.03m, Theis is also a key player for the German national team and helped secure the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup title when Germany defeated Serbia in the final.
Now, he joins AS Monaco Basketball, currently fourth in the EuroLeague and third in the Betclic Elite, where he will reunite with Assistant Coach Ilias Kantzouris, with whom he spent three seasons at Bamberg.
A return to European basketball
Theis, who has played in an impressive 452 NBA games, looks back on his time in the US with fond memories, saying, “I had a good experience with successful stints. I went to the finals once with the Boston Celtics. I played in several Eastern Conference finals. I played with great players, met a lot of friends, and of course, I loved my life and my teammates. I still talk about it today. It remains a great chapter in my professional career.”
Yet he is eager to return to European basketball.
“There’s obviously a big difference between the EuroLeague and the NBA. One of them is that in the NBA, you have more than 80 games, and if you lose one or two, it’s easy to catch up and make up for the losses. In the EuroLeague, even though there are still 34 games, every loss counts,” Theis explained in his welcome interview with AS Monaco Basketball. “You can’t just say, ‘Okay, we’ll take this one or lose two, then win the next two.’ I think that’s a big difference—every game really counts. It’s clear that athletic qualities play an important role. The NBA is probably a faster, more athletic game, but I think the EuroLeague places more emphasis on basketball systems. Because of the rules, you can also play more physically on defense.”
When asked why he chose Monaco over other offers, Theis said, “Monaco has built something—something big—in recent years by reaching the Final Four of the EuroLeague and this year by being in the Top 4 of the standings so far… I wanted to be part of this adventure, to win, to have a chance to win the EuroLeague, and to be competitive.”
He also noted how the EuroLeague has evolved since his last stint: “The competition is getting stronger every year. There are more top-level players joining the EuroLeague than there were eight years ago. I’m looking forward to competing with the best. I clearly remember my last EuroLeague experience, even though it’s been eight years. The atmosphere in the arenas is excellent throughout Europe. That’s always been one of the advantages of playing in the EuroLeague—travelling and experiencing different arenas and fan cultures. Every time you go to a different country, to a different arena, you see how the fans support their team. I’m really looking forward to that again.”
“I’ll meet all the team’s needs”
So what will this German titan bring to the Principality? Versatility, teamwork and drive.
“I have big goals,” Theis shared. “After the unfortunate loss in the [Leaders Cup] final, we still have three trophies to win. That’s the ultimate goal for me and for the team—winning the Coupe de France, the French championship, and of course, the main focus, the EuroLeague. We still have eight games left, including important away games, with the ambition to reach the Final Four.”
Theis believes his adaptable and well-rounded playing style will be an asset to Monaco.
“I’ll meet all the team’s needs. I’ll do the little things—set screens, grab rebounds, run the court—and I think I’ll make the game easier for everyone around me,” he said. “That’s what I’m really going to focus on: fitting into this collective.”
Theis also spoke extensively with AS Monaco Basketball’s new Head Coach, Vassilis Spanoulis, before signing with the Roca Team.
“Coach Spanoulis played an important role in my decision. We got in touch quite quickly. He called me, and we talked about what I can bring. He appreciated my style of play,” Theis shared.
He continued, “I play physically on defense, especially in pick and roll. On offense, I have several strengths I can bring, including changes and drops in attack. I have a lot of tools in my game, and he liked that. It’s great to hear from a coach who wants you, especially given his success as a player and his competitive spirit in basketball. I just wanted to be part of his project in Monaco.”
Theis’ first game with AS Monaco Basketball will be on 27th February in Milan, when the Roca Team faces Olimpia Milano in the EuroLeague. Fans in Monaco will have to wait until March to see Theis on his new home court, with the next fixtures at the Salle Gaston Médecin scheduled for 9th March, versus Paris Basket in the Betclic Elite, and 20th March, when Fenerbahçe Basketball visits the Principality for a EuroLeague game.
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Photo source: Daniel Theis, Facebook