"It’s an introduction to superstardom": Moe Wagner on brother Franz Wagner's rise, Shaquille O'Neal shouting them out, and more (Exclusive)
Music blared throughout the Orlando Magic’s locker room. Various players watched highlights of the Magic’s 119-118 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. And while flashing a warm smile, Magic center Moe Wagner talked about Franz’s go-ahead game-winning 3 with brotherly love.
“It’s an introduction to superstardom,” Wagner told Sportskeeda. “Not to exaggerate, but I think he’s understanding his power and how good he can be.”
The Magic (10-7) rank fourth in the Eastern Conference partly because Franz has posted career-highs in scoring (23.2 points per game) and assists (5.4) in his fourth NBA season. Despite Paolo Banchero staying sidelined with a right oblique injury, Orlando has won seven of its last eight games partly because of Franz elevating his game. During that stretch, Franz has averaged 28.13 points while shooting 45.3% from the field and 35% from 3 along with 6.88 assists.
Orlando has also cemented strong chemistry partly because of its roster continuity and partly because of the strong brotherly dynamic between Franz and Moe.
“I love it. I think there’s a reason why our group is as close as it is,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It’s not just because of the camaraderie that we have from beijng together, but because they bring that dynamic to the group.”
It also helps that Moe has become a productive player, too. Following short stints with the Lakers (2018-19), the Washington Wizards (2019-21) and Boston Celtics (2021), Wagner became a dependable rotation player with the Magic (2021-24) to warrant a two-year, $22 million free-agent deal last summer. As Orlando’s primary backup center, Wagner has also averaged career-highs this season in points (12.6) on a 53.6% clip and 4.4 rebounds per contest.
“He has the basketball IQ. He has the tenacity. He plays with force,” Mosley said. “He plays with energy. From the first year of us being here, he’s shown he wants to grow. He wants to get better. He wants to figure out ways to be able to stay on the court both offensively and defensively.”
Wagner spoke to Sportskeeda about the growth both and Franz experienced, the Magic’s seven-game playoff series loss to Cleveland and former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal shouting him out during a TNT telecast.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
What was your view of Franz’s game-winner?
Wagner: “I think you always have to make the decision on whether you go for two or three at some point. That’s what great players do, man. They figure it out. Obviously, basketball is a little luck, too. But he works on that stuff, and it worked.”
Given his growth of his player, where do you rank his performance and this moment?
Wagner: “An introduction to superstardom. Not to exaggerate, but I think he’s understanding his power and how good he can be. Making plays like that elevates confidence on his level as well. You have to ask him, but he works so hard. I’m very happy for him that he gets to experience that.
Jamahl also said that Franz is “not afraid of big moments.” Where do you think that comes from?
Wagner: “Right now, I think it’s consistency. The methods he works with – he’s so diligent and he’s so focused. He doesn’t let the outside world determine anything. He’s super mature for his age. It’s incredible to watch and be a part of it.”
Franz has been an all-around player, but he has elevated his game across the board with adding a mid-range game and improving his 3s. What window do you have on what he did to build off this?
Wagner: “Partially, it’s opportunity too. With Paolo out, he’s had more shots. We’ve needed him to step up and make plays. He’s stepping up to that. Also, he works so hard. His confidence – that’s where it comes from. He knows how to put himself in a position. Once he is in a position to execute, his shots go in.”
When you look at the big picture with Franz and Jalen [Suggs] getting their extensions and you resigning as a free agent, what does all of this mean to you?
Wagner: “Look at this group. This is so dope. The NBA has so much turnover. There’s so much business. There’s so much BS going on. Sometimes you forget that the day-to-day is so important. To be here as a group in a culture that you can really enjoy that part, it means a lot to us.”
What do you think has been the key to have that secret sauce from the organization and players’ commitment to each other?
Wagner: “The attitude hasn’t really changed in the last four years. There has been a great consistency. With people, there hasn’t been a high level of turnover. So we know each other really well. There’s a lot of value in knowing where you were four years ago and coming out of that together.”
How about for you specifically? You started your career with different teams. So when it came to your free-agent decision this summer, how did you weigh everything?
Wagner: “Obviously, it’s always about trajectory. This trajectory with this team and myself is on the same level. So this is a great situation for me. But at the end of the day, you have to maximize your time in the NBA, too. I know that. You always want to grow. But this year, this has been the perfect spot for me. And it will continue to be.”
Well with your game, Jamahl said you have a knack for being efficient with your scoring quickly after entering the game. What’s the key to that?
Wagner: “I could’ve been a little bit more efficient [against the Lakers]. But I like to score. That’s why I started playing basketball. I’m finding ways to manipulate the game and playing off of my teammates. I work on it really hard. I understand my teammates and play off of them.”
How about defensively. You often defend some of the league’s best big guys, and sometimes you get under their skin...
Wagner: [interrupts]. “That’s not on purpose. I’m trying to minimize that. I’m trying to be a good defender. Obviously, there’s an athletic disadvantage. Well, not a disadvantage. But these guys are huge. These guys are super athletic. So it’s about having a high IQ and knowing their tendencies. I try to continue to improve with that.”
I understand it’s not on purpose. But what’s your perspective on some guys not taking it well?
Wagner: “I look around and I think, ‘I’m not supposed to be here.’ So every time you get to say that, you can’t lose. Just put in everything you got in your preparation. And then be confident when you’re out there because you worked your ass off.”
What are the lessons from last season both with challenging Cleveland to seven games in the first round and falling short in Game 7?
Wagner: “The playoffs were huge for us. We know the physicality, and that it’s needed in those situations to be successful. Now you have a whole different perspective going into that game. Going into the games in January matter, too. It’s a game. It was great for us to struggle. When you think about going into the summer and working on your game, long-term, that probably wasn’t the worst thing to happen to us. Just embrace the challenge and continue to work.”
When you look at the big picture, what will it take beyond health to get past teams like Boston and Cleveland in the East?
Wagner: “My mindset is not there. I’ll keep my head in this locker room. This is such a special group. You can get lost focusing on all the other teams and all the other BS. You forget to have fun and you forget the people that are around you. The stuff will happen. We’ll improve. We’ll continue to hold each other accountable. It’s going to work out."
How did it register with you that Shaq shouted you out during the playoffs?
Wagner: “That’s my guy right there. It was dope. When you lose a lot, you don’t get a lot of recognition. So starting to gain recognition is awesome. It’s not by talking or social media. It’s by actually playing and having a big body of work. It took a lot of time for me to get to that point. So I carry that around with me a little bit. But that’s not why you play. You just want to win.”
An obvious question. But I presume you watched Shaq a lot growing up?
Wagner: “He’s so dominant. So yeah, obviously. He’s one of the best bigs we’ve ever had and one of the biggest characters we’ve had in the league and the game. So, of course.”
Who were your other big men influences?
Wagner: “Kevin Garnett was my biggest. Obviously, Dirk [Nowitzki] because of Germany. But Kevin Garnett was my favorite player growing up. Dirk’s skills are unmatched. And KG has the ability to impact the game without scoring. He has a certain mentality that I really admire. It’s something I try to do, too. I try to affect the game, even without having a great [scoring] game.”
Since you just played the Lakers, when you scored your first career points, LeBron [James] was hyped from the bench. What do you remember about that?
Wagner: “That’s cool when people care about you. It was good memories. That was a tough year for everyone, but his skills are unmatched. He’s always making the right play. I couldn’t appreciate it at the age. But being around great players like that is one of my favorite things.”
Going back to your brother, what does having that dynamic with the German national team and with the Magic mean to you?
Wagner: “It’s the best. We don’t really live a normal NBA lifestyle. We carpool to work. It’s easy because we can cut out the outside noise. We don’t have to listen to other people. We can just listen to each other. We make each other better. We work hard. One of the biggest things is if you want to go somewhere is having somebody on your side that also wants to go to the same place. I’m very lucky to have that with my brother. He’s very close to me. So we embrace that situation.”
So you both are still roommates?
Wagner: “Oh yeah. I live at his house. It’s the best.”
What are the highlights?
Wagner: “Carpooling to work. After games, you’re not by yourself. We don’t have family here so it’s nice to be around your family.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.