Mourning for Dieter Kuprella: A basketball legend leaves the arena

Mourning for Dieter Kuprella: A basketball legend leaves the arena

On July 7, 2025, a great personality in German basketball passed away: Dieter Kuprella, who was born in Gelsenkirchen on February 5, 1946, died at the age of 79. In addition to being a talented player, Kuprella was a mentor to many young athletes he coached throughout his long career. His death leaves a void in the hearts of the basketball community, especially the BAYER GIANTS Leverkusen, where he was active until his last breath.

Kuprella took his first steps in basketball at the age of 14, having previously switched to athletics. Fine technology, coupled with an unbridled passion, quickly made him a top performer. His impressive career started in the Bundesliga with ASC Gelsenkirchen from 1966 to 1968, followed by a move to TuS 04 Leverkusen, where he shone as a national player in a total of 108 appearances between 1970 and 1976. During this time he won an incredible four championship titles and four cup victories for the club TuS 04 Leverkusen.

Olympic moments and challenges

Important in Kuprella's career was his participation in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Despite a serious injury, a torn Achilles tendon, which put a strain on him beforehand, he played at a time when basketball did not yet have the status it has today. The experience was exciting for him on the one hand, but also sobering on the other because he couldn't feel the lightness that other athletes described. In the middle of the game he experienced the attack on the Israeli national team, which further shaped his experience. These and other stories made him a legend who continued to have an impact even after he left the sport.

The move to coaching was a logical consequence for Kuprella. Over many years he brought his knowledge as a coach to the youth team of TuS Leverkusen and led them to four German A youth championships. He later worked as an assistant coach for the women's national team and his last role was as head coach for the men's team at TuS Opladen in the district league. His commitment to BAYER GIANTS Leverkusen until his death is another sign of his deep connection to basketball.

A look into the future of basketball

Kuprella often commented on the development of German basketball and worried about the dominance of foreign players in the leagues. He criticized the current structures of the youth basketball Bundesliga and saw challenges for the future of the sport in Germany. The number of members of the German Basketball Federation is continuously growing, but Kuprella feared that there would be a lack of financial resources to maintain professional teams. After all, there are now over 217,000 DBB members in the country, a sign of the increasing popularity of basketball basketball.de reported.

His death marks the end of a chapter for many who benefited from his knowledge and passion for basketball. The BAYER GIANTS Leverkusen basketball department plans to honor Kuprella's memory. In a sport that is continually growing and changing, Dieter Kuprella will never be forgotten - as a player, coach and as an inspiration for the next generation of talent and basketball enthusiasts.