After much worry about whether they would get fit in time, both German world champions were able to play. Franz Wagner scored 18 points in his comeback after a month’s break, and his brother scored seven in his second game after returning. Da Silva scored eight points.
Before the game, German basketball legends Dirk Nowitzki and Detlef Schrempf warmed up the 13,738 fans in the sold-out Uber Arena. Football greats Jürgen Klopp, Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels didn’t miss the spectacle.
Franz Wagner, alongside his German teammates, said to the fans: “The last few days here were unforgettable, the three of us are still excited. Thank you for all the support, that wouldn’t be possible without you. I have one request: let it really rip today.”
Huge cheers erupted when the 24-year-old was the last Magic player to be introduced to the starting five. However, there was a time limit for the currently highest-paid German athlete. The long pause was noticeable. It also got very loud when da Silva and Moritz Wagner made their first substitutions in the first quarter.
The Grizzlies, who competed without their star Ja Morant, got off to a better start and pulled ahead clearly to 39:23. The German national players couldn’t find their way into the game in the first twelve minutes and didn’t hit any of their six shots.
The second period began with both Wagner brothers on the field. The younger man scored for the first time after just under a minute. Shortly afterwards, Moritz Wagner converted a three-pointer. With an alley-oop, da Silva shortened the score to 45:55.
After halftime, the Magic pulled ahead. Moritz Wagner made a seven-point lead with a hook throw and drew an offensive foul from the Grizzlies in the next attack. But it remained close until the end. Franz Wagner equalized twice for his team and then made it 114:109. There were shouts of “MVP” from the stands.
Klopp had a lively conversation with Moritz Wagner before the game. “Basketball in itself is cool, basketball in Germany is extremely cool. The Wagner brothers, that’s crazy,” he said on Prime Video. The former world champions Hummels and Müller sat right on the sidelines and the Wagners’ parents were also there.
The show didn’t miss out on the game. Singer Melody Thornton performed the US anthem, which was met with clearly audible whistles and lots of cheers. The German rapper Luciano performed at halftime.
The Wagners have of course been in the spotlight all week in their hometown. Schnitzel dinner in the luxury restaurant Borchardt, a history excursion at the Brandenburg Gate and a Berlin kebab: the brothers from Prenzlauer Berg made an effort to introduce their teammates to the city and the country.
An NBA home game for two German brothers – a novelty. “We look at each other all the time because it’s very surreal for us that we’ve come full circle,” said Moritz Wagner. At a meet & greet in a basketball store on Wednesday, fans stood in a long line on the street despite the uncomfortable winter weather in Berlin. There were also smiling faces at the meetings with young basketball talents from Alba and children from Berlin.
Overall, the league tried a lot with its huge promotional entourage to win new fans. 450,000 people had apparently registered to buy a ticket for the games in Berlin (January 15) and London (January 18).
The game and the surrounding festivities can also serve as a test run for the NBA’s planned European branch. In 2028, the league will definitely return to the German capital for another season game, and a Berlin club may already be playing in NBA Europe by then.
