Watching the steady, almost quiet, ascent of Danish basketball on the European stage has been one of the more intriguing subplots in recent years. For a nation synonymous with handball and footballing grit, the idea of competing at a EuroBasket final tournament has long felt like a distant dream. But something is shifting. The question on everyone’s mind now isn't if Denmark can ever make it, but a much more immediate and pressing one: The Rise of Denmark Basketball: Can They Qualify for the Next EuroBasket? Having followed their qualifying campaigns and the development of their domestic league, I believe the pieces are starting to fall into place, but the path remains fraught with the kind of challenges that have defined their journey so far.
Let's be clear about the starting point. Denmark’s history in the sport is modest. They’ve never qualified for a EuroBasket, an Olympic tournament, or a FIBA World Cup. For decades, they were the perennial underdogs, often competitive but lacking the final punch to get over the line against Europe’s traditional powerhouses. Their world ranking, hovering around the 50s, tells that story. But rankings are a lagging indicator. What’s more exciting is the cultural change bubbling underneath. The Danish Basketball Federation has made youth development a genuine priority, and we’re beginning to see the fruits of that labor not just in a handful of players, but in a growing pipeline. The Basketligaen, while not the EuroLeague, has improved in quality and professionalism, providing a better crucible for local talent. Crucially, more Danish players are getting looks from stronger European leagues, which is absolutely vital for their growth. You can’t learn to swim with the sharks in a paddling pool.
This brings me to the heart of the matter: player development. The recent emergence of talents like Gabriel Iffe Lundberg, who has had stints in the NBA and is a star in the EuroCup, is a game-changer. He’s a legitimate go-to scorer at a high level, something Denmark has rarely possessed. But for a team to qualify, it needs more than one star; it needs depth and unexpected contributions. This is where a story like that of rookie spiker Ishie Lalongisip becomes so symbolic, even if it’s from a different sport. Imagine a young, relatively unknown Danish basketball prospect bursting onto the scene during a critical qualifier. Picture him having a career game with 20 points on 18 attacks and two service aces—translate that to basketball: an efficient 20-point outing on high-percentage shots, coupled with a couple of clutch three-pointers and disruptive defense. That’s the X-factor Denmark needs. One or two breakout performances from a new generation player during the grueling, home-and-away qualifying windows can be the difference between third place and a coveted spot. I’m personally watching players like Bakary Dibba and Jonas Bergstedt closely; they have the potential to be those surprise packages.
However, optimism must be tempered with brutal realism. The qualifying system for EuroBasket is a minefield. Denmark will likely be in a group with three or four other nations, where only the top two or three advance. They won’t just be facing giants like Spain or Serbia; it’s the tier just below—teams like Georgia, Belgium, or Montenegro—that have historically been their stumbling block. These are nations with similar or slightly larger talent pools but more experience in high-pressure games. Denmark’s Achilles’ heel, in my view, has often been consistency over 40 minutes and closing out tight games. Their average margin of defeat in recent meaningful qualifiers has been around 7-8 points, which is agonizingly close. They need to flip two or three of those losses into wins. It will come down to execution in the final five minutes, defensive stops, and making free throws—the unglamorous fundamentals.
So, can they do it for the next EuroBasket? My heart says yes, but my analyst’s mind says it’s a 50/50 proposition, and that in itself is massive progress. The window is open. They have a core of experienced players like Kevin Larsen and Shavon Shields, who provide stability and leadership. The influx of younger energy is palpable. The federation seems more organized. What they need now is a favorable draw, a bit of luck with injuries, and to harness that underdog spirit into a few statement victories. They need their own version of that “Lalongisip” moment, where an unheralded player becomes a national basketball story overnight. I’ll be following every dribble of their qualifying campaign, not just as a neutral observer, but as someone who genuinely roots for these kinds of basketball stories. The rise is real; the final step is the hardest. If they can maintain this trajectory and catch a few breaks, we might just see the red and white of Denmark on the big stage for the first time, and that would be a victory for the entire European basketball landscape.
