EWE Baskets Oldenburg have extended the contract with the team's longest-serving player, Seth Hinrichs, until 2028. The 33-year-old power forward has been with the team for two years and has established himself as a key player. Hinrichs is not only a talented player but also a leader for the team. He brings experience and stability to the team and is an important part of the team's success. The contract extension is also important because Hinrichs is a German player. The teams in the Bundesliga can only have six foreign players on the court at a time, and players with German passports are highly sought after. The market for German positions is highly competitive, as talents at universities in the US also receive money and many strong young players move across the big pond. Hinrichs joined the Baskets in 2024 and quickly became an important player – both on and off the court. He was already familiar with the northwest: From 2017 to 2019, he had already played for Rasta Vechta, where he helped the team win promotion to the BBL in 2018 and reach the playoff semifinals the following season – with Hinrichs playing a key role. He then had one-year stints with the Bundesliga club RP Ulm and the Spanish club Bàsquet Manresa before joining the Hamburg Towers for three years in 2021. In total, Hinrichs has played 217 BBL games (64 for Oldenburg). What sets Hinrichs apart is not the spectacular scenes and not the numbers in the statistics, but his basketball IQ, team ability, and work ethic. Seth is a player that you would only wish for with his values and his appearance as a club, says Hermann Schüller, shareholder and honorary president of the Baskets. He puts the team and their success in the spotlight, is also a leader and thus an important pillar for the development of a new team. Similar statements are made by sports manager Srdjan Klaric: Seth is very important to us! He brings a lot of experience with him, is a great person and makes a team play better. Klaric also calls the 33-year-old a leader for the other players and an identification figure for our club. And that are two reasons why this extension is so important. Hinrichs is the only player who has been with the Baskets for longer than a season – who, if not him, could currently be the identification figure of the Donnervögel? Last year, there was a major upheaval with a new coach and many new players. This year, there is also a change – although possibly a smaller one. But the Oldenburgers will also enter the upcoming season with a new head coach – and probably with a few new players. Hinrichs will help the new players find their way. Because he knows the club and the city already for two years. That was probably also a reason for the family man to extend his contract by two years. We have felt very welcome and valued in the club, but also in the entire environment and the city in the last two years. It's nice to stay with my family for two more years in Oldenburg.