By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – Three years after his first medal with the German senior national team at FIBA EuroBasket 2022, Franz Wagner became a reigning World and EuroBasket champion.
In the final against Turkiye, he was once again a factor, especially on the defensive end, finishing with 18 points and 8 rebounds in the win over Ergin Ataman’s team.
It was a close game, but Germany came out on top. “At the end of the day, I think we just made a couple more plays. Lack of momentum is always part of this in these close games,” he said in the mixed zone.
“I thought they made a lot of plays. Today we played all 40 minutes, and maybe when stuff isn’t going your way, I thought we never put our heads down and stayed together. The guys made some big plays in crucial moments, and that’s why I think we deserve to win,” he continued.
Before the party started, he wore the jersey of his brother Moritz, who wasn’t available to take part in another winning expedition due to injury. “I talked to him, he’s super happy,” Franz commented.
“Obviously, it’s a long summer, but it’s also a little bit sad when it comes to an end, because I won’t see these guys until next summer or whenever. We enjoy tonight,” he added.
Another gold medal for Germany, which has obviously entered the best basketball era of its history. “Being part of this, it’s super cool. It means a lot not just to me but to all of German basketball.”
“I really don’t care about what people from the outside talk about. At the end of the day, what makes you truly happy is being part of a team like this,” Orlando’s star concluded.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIBA