Hardly anyone in his closest circle is surprised by what Franz Wagner shows at the European Basketball Championship. The shooting star was always special, but moving to the United States made him explode.
When Franz Wagner left none other than Giannis Antetokounmpo standing like a cardboard cutout, even his brother couldn’t spit. “These are just star things,” said Moritz Wagner in the “Got Nexxt” podcast: “You can’t explain that anymore. Some people are just different.”
This scene showed how special Franz Wagner is when the just 21-year-old threw a three-pointer “in the face” of the Greek world star during the German triumph in the quarter-finals of the European Championship, as they say in the USA.
In general, the NBA shooting star of the Orlando Magic played an impressively strong tournament against Spain up to the semifinals on Friday, which makes fans dream of the future.
Strong rookie year in the NBA
After the 32 points in the overtime crime thriller in the preliminary round of the European Championship against Lithuania, Wagner was even traded as the next Dirk Nowitzki, but Franz is his own brand after just one year in the NBA.
As a rookie with the Magic, drafted eighth in 2021, he was already shocking the big ones. For example last December when he scored 38 (!) points – even then against Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
But how can Wagner be so good at such a young age? “You saw the talent very early on,” said Moritz, who was injured at the European Championships and not only played with Franz in Orlando, but also shared a flat with him.
Back then, Franz was always the best in her hometown of Berlin, wherever he played. But to become one of the best in the world, that’s not enough.
NBA: Wagner follows his brother’s path
That’s where the head comes in. The 2.08 meter lanky could have been satisfied with Europe. Until 2019 he played for Alba Berlin in the Bundesliga and would certainly have stirred up the EuroLeague for years, but he wanted more.
Wagner did the same as his brother and went to college in the USA with the Michigan Wolverines.
Not only to recommend himself for the NBA, but also to grow as a personality. “The American mentality — the killer instinct, the competitive spirit — mixed with the way my brother and I learned basketball can be a really good combination,” he said on The Long Shot podcast.
His development, Wagner himself sees it, would probably not have been possible in Germany. “In America, the boys grow up and see NBA highlights from an early age. They want to be ‘the guy’ and live this blatant NBA life,” said Wagner: “It’s just a different vibe in America.”
Setting helps Wagner in the basketball championship
At Alba he would have “rather played in a team construct” and you don’t get the mentality “like at college”.
This attitude now also helps him with the national team in the decisive phase of the European Championship, because in this team he is the man for the decisive moments.
It is important, according to Wagner, “that you have a few guys in the team who don’t even think about important throws in the game”. The confidence is just there. Always. That’s how Franz Wagner learned it in America.
