Franz Wagner: Breakout NBA Season with Brother Moritz

Franz Wagner: Poised for NBA Stardom with Brotherly Support

At just 24 years old, Franz Wagner has already achieved remarkable success in his basketball career. By NBA standards, he’s still considered a developing player with untapped potential waiting to be unleashed. However, his accomplishments with the German national team tell a different story—one of a player who’s already arrived on the international stage.

International Success: Germany’s Golden Generation

Germany currently boasts one of the world’s best national teams, with Wagner playing a crucial role in their recent triumphs. The team’s impressive resume includes bronze at EuroBasket 2022, gold at the 2023 World Cup, and most recently, gold at EuroBasket 2025.

While Dennis Schröder serves as the team’s leader and face of German basketball, and Isaac Bonga earned Finals MVP honors at EuroBasket 2025, Wagner’s contributions have been equally vital. He emerged as Germany’s leading scorer throughout the tournament, averaging 21.1 points per game compared to Schröder’s 20.9.

More Than Just Statistics

What makes Wagner’s international success particularly noteworthy is his consistency and efficiency. He was the only German player to rank in the tournament’s top 10 for efficiency, demonstrating his all-around impact on the game.

“Schröder surprises many fans and analysts by performing more impressively for the national team than in the NBA,” notes one basketball analyst. “But Franz Wagner aims for stardom on both fronts. That’s why he’s central to Germany’s future success—and to Orlando’s aspirations.”

The Wagner Brothers: A Unique NBA Partnership

What sets Franz apart is his team-first mentality. You’ll never hear him say “I” when discussing prospects for either the national team or the Orlando Magic. For him, it’s always “we”—and that “we” primarily means the Wagner brothers: Franz and his older brother Moritz.

The Rare Case of Successful Siblings

Successful brother duos in the NBA are uncommon. Pau and Marc Gasol represent the exception—both becoming elite centers. Most sibling pairs in sports fall into the category where one significantly outperforms the other.

Even in cases where one brother appears to be in the shadow, their relationship often defies external perception. Michael Jordan famously chose jersey number 23 hoping to become “at least half as good” as his brother Larry, who wore number 45. Similarly, more successful players often claim their brothers were actually better, attributing their success to luck.

A Genuine Brotherhood

Franz Wagner echoes this sentiment with genuine conviction. “I’ve always looked up to him,” Franz revealed in the recently released mini-series The Wagner Brothers. “Mo remains the person I’m trying to impress. I think his approval means more to me than anything else.”

These words carry particular weight coming from the 24-year-old, whose relationship with his brother extends beyond typical sibling dynamics into a professional partnership that fuels both their successes.

The Future: Breaking Out Together

As Franz Wagner prepares for what many anticipate will be his breakout NBA season, he does so with his brother and teammate by his side. The unique Wagner partnership—both with the German national team and the Orlando Magic—represents one of basketball’s most compelling stories of brotherhood and mutual support.

While the basketball world watches Germany’s continued international success and Orlando’s development as a team, all eyes will be on the Wagner brothers—proving that sometimes, the strongest partnerships are the ones that begin at home.