Norbert Thimm

Norbert Thimm ( born August 21, 1949 in Dortmund ) is a former German basketball national team. He was in 1972 the first German basketball player, who won as a professional athlete a contract with a foreign basketball club.

Career

Norbert Thimm was already playing as Dortmund students in the National Basketball League team of the SSV Hagen.

In October 1968, the league player was, he was regarded as a particularly talented perspective players from Bundestrainerrat the German Basketball Federation (DBB), appointed under the chairmanship of the then Vice - President and marshal of the DBB Anton Kartak, in the fifty -headed " Olympic squad 1972". The Olympic team was put together to an early start with the concentrated training preparation for the basketball tournament of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and two FIBA European Championship competitions in the years 1969 and 1971 ( Norbert Thimm took as one of seven DBB participants in the XX. 1972 Summer Olympics participated in all three international tournaments. ).

Together with Jochen Pollex, also a player, published in October 1968 " Kartak list", Thimm joined the season 1969/1970 for TuS 04 Leverkusen. With the two internationals the Leverkusernen succeeded in their second Bundesliga season, the league and cup double, with Thimm was mostly as a center of one of the game-winning player of his team. 1970/1971 Leverkusen defended the double and successful 1971/1972 succeeded the third championship success in a row.

In his first season at TuS 04 played Thimm, under the then national coach Miloslav Kříž, as a regular in the senior team of the DAR, which, however, in 1969 in Thessaloniki ( Greece) not for the FIBA European Championship in 1969 could qualify. In the FIBA European Championship 1971 in Germany, the German national team finished ninth. Thimm could be characterized as one of the greatest rebounder of the tournament.

The following year, Germany was once again hosted a season climax. In the squad for the XX. 1972 Olympic Games in Munich stood beside Norbert Thimm with point guard Dieter Kuprella, Winger Jochen Pollex and the Center Dietrich Keller four players from the reigning German champions. At the Olympic basketball tournament in Munich came Norbert Thimm, then 23 years old, in all nine games, including national coach Theodor Schober, used and scored a total of 143 points, with 32 fouls whistled against him. This Thimm was the best pitcher of the German Olympic team and one of the most successful bowler of the Olympic basketball tournament in Munich in 1972.

Immediately following the 1972 Summer Olympics Thimm moved to Spain. With Real Madrid, he won in 1973 and 1974, the Spanish Championship, the breakthrough as a permanent player in the " Starting Five " did not succeed at this time, however. In 1974 he returned to Leverkusen and won right away in the cup final. In 1976 Leverkusen with Thimm for the third time the Double in 1979 succeeded the fifth championship success. 1981 ended Norbert Thimm after some injuries of his career.

After the failure in the European Championship Qualifiers 1975 Thimm withdrew from the national team, but returned in 1979 back again for twelve internationals.

Norbert Thimm was during his studies and for German university selection and represented Germany several times during the Universiade.

The mid-1970s began the psychologist in the HR department of Bayer AG in Leverkusen his career. He was, until, always concerned about his scheduled retirement of the long-term employment relationship, in 2011, with tasks of personnel selection and personnel development. The sport of basketball or sports in general he remained, in addition to his professional activities, always connected as a coach and official closely and with great interest. As a " retired " Thimm is engaged inter alia in two sports agencies as partners.