"I’m going to f*** you up" - Georges Niang recounts when heated encounter with Mo Wagner nearly led to hallway scuffle
Georges Niang recalled how he almost came to blows with Orlando Magic's Mo Wagner. Then part of the Philadelphia 76ers, Niang was at the receiving end of some relentless trash-talk from the Magic big and it came to a point where the former was ready for the smoke. Their on-court altercation nearly led to a hallway scuffle between the two after the game.
Speaking on an episode of “The Bench Seat,' he revealed that the Sixers took on the Magic, but Wagner took on Niang during garbage time and dished out some choice words, none of which sat well with the now sharpshooter.
“I was so in my feelings, I was like, ‘Shut the f— up,’ and usually after the game, you go and dap people up. So I was looking for him, and Mo didn’t dap anyone up. … So I got to the locker room, and we have a group chat and I was like, ‘Mo if you ever do that again, I’m going to f— you up. And as a matter of fact, meet me in the back hallway so we can talk about it. Meet me f—— now.’ I was pissed. And then I get back there, and we were just hugging each other.”
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Georges Niang has carved a name for himself as a reliable 3-and-D player since he was drafted as the second-round pick in the 2016 draft. While his three-point efficiency dipped in Cleveland, he boasts of a healthy 39.7% from the deep and is an impact bench option for the Cavaliers.
Wagner plays along with his brother Franz in Orlando and is coming off a brilliant season for the franchise averaging 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds a game this past season. Franz was one of the offensive weapons propping up 19.7 points per contest.
As for the kerfuffle between Georges Niang and Mo Wagner, it's a thing of the past, and the two have gone back to being on good terms since.
Georges Niang shares impressive tale about Franz Wagner's Game 4 moment vs Cavaliers
The Orlando Magic had an impressive regular season that saw them book a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. They needed a win in Game 4 to keep their hopes of progressing alive and making some noise was Franz Wagner with his series-high 34 points.
Except, Georges Niang had a hilarious story to share.
"There was a point where I was coming off a season and I'm coming to work out and I don't want to guard this dude who keeps dribbling. I was having to guard a lot of stuff and I was like, 'You do all that dribbling and the only team that's going to take you is the Orlando Magic.' That's when the Magic were going through their low period. And then they draft him and now I have to watch him drive into me and bust my [butt]."
And it was a full display of competitiveness as Niang knew what was coming. Franz Wagner may have been drafted to a side going through a lean phase, but he and his brother ensured that Georges Niang not only had to deal with Franz on the court but also knew he was getting it back from the Magic star for his comments early on.