German handball has been a bit lackluster recently – the last title was eight years ago. After the clear win against Portugal, that should now change at the home European Championship. Important source of hope: Juri Knorr, 23 years old, playmaker with a penchant for quarreling.
The expectations accompany Juri Knorr into the locker room. December light falls palely through a corner window onto the locker with the number ten, in front of which handball player Knorr stands in the Rhein-Neckar Löwen’s locker room. He rummages for socks for training. There is a cover photo of Sports Illustrated magazine hanging at head height on his locker door. It says: “The Chosen One”, the chosen one.
The issue is from February 2002. It is dedicated to LeBron James, a 17-year-old high school player who later became the best basketball player of his generation. The cover is an icon among fans; you can find the original framed for $399 on Ebay, the reprint on T-shirts and hoodies. And in the cabin of the Rhein-Neckar Löwen. Except that there on the body of LeBron James is Juri Knorr’s head. A fellow player created the photo montage and pinned it to the closet. Knorr doesn’t want people to take photos of the cover. Not that anyone thinks he is the LeBron of German handball anymore. That’s also why, we hear from the team, the picture is hanging there. On the team, they know they can tease him with the cover because he’s the last person who would show off his talent. But many actually see Knorr as a chosen one.