By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Returning from a left high ankle sprain, Franz Wagner suited up for the Orlando Magic in the first-ever NBA Regular Season contest in Germany, specifically in the capital and his hometown, Berlin.
Playing for the first time since early January, the 24-year-old forward tallied 18 points, nine rebounds, and two assists over 27 minutes, helping his side rally past the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Berlin Game 2026 presented by Tissot, held in Uber Arena.
Beyond recapping the team effort in improving the 2025-26 record to 23-18, he also discussed the partnership between FIBA and the NBA, aiming to create a new top-tier club competition in Europe, widely labeled as NBA Europe.
“I was surprised and super interested at the same time,” said Wagner, describing his first reaction to the project.
“I think the challenge will be to still have and keep the great culture and tradition that we have in European basketball,” he added.
Wagner shared his opinion on how a new league could work, without wandering away from the existing high-level of basketball in the Old Continent.
“The skill level is definitely there, of players. Like I said, the team culture and fan culture that we have in Europe is awesome. So, I think the challenge is to keep that, and kind of do a better job, maybe of commercializing the sport a little bit and creating revenue streams that I think are definitely there and possible. It’s not always about money, but we want people to watch the game that we all love, and that helps grow the sport. So, I think that’s important. And I think the NBA can do a really good job of that,” he mentioned.
From Berlin to London’s The O2 Arena, the Magic and Grizzlies rematch on Sunday.