Wagner grateful to hype up Magic fans again after long-awaited absence

Moritz Wagner has been through hell and back to return to his heaven on earth – the basketball court.

After 386 days away from the game, rehabbing daily, practicing relatively mundane movements of stretching one's knee over and over instead of practicing basketball skills, just to get back to the big stage under the bright lights.

Mo Wagner missed the game; the game missed Mo Wagner.

Moritz Wagner shows gratitude for moment after hyping up the crowd

Mo Wagner ponders — Dec 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner (21) during practice prior to the Emirates Cup semifinals at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Moritz Wagner is a walking, talking, yelling ball of energy for this Magic team.

Orlando simply plays different, harder, more energized when they can feed off the energy Mo Wagner spews into the arena.

Wagner celebrates every winning play like its a miracle, and that energy is a good thing as it can be contagious for a team, especially one so reliant on making hustle plays; this Magic team is at its most electric when it forces turnovers and gets out and runs.

During the third quarter of a Sunday afternoon game against the Pelicans, Wagner made a key stretch featuring one of his classic energy moments.

The Desmond Bane & Mo Wagner Dimmsdale Dimmadome Double Steal Sequence in question

Watch Moritz HYPE UP the crowd !

Magic Basketball missed Mo https://t.co/kRG9wiBVJ5 pic.twitter.com/B4NCppyX5g
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) January 12, 2026

After Desmond Bain picked off a full-court pass like a free safety reading the quarterback, he saved the ball ahead to a streaking Moritz down the court for a bump-and-finish lay-in.

Then, the following possession, Moritz and Desmond rode that momentum into frantically trapping the pick-and-roll ball-handler, resulting in a key forced turnover, leading to Mo celebrating with the crowd, a symbolic moment of what the return of Moritz Wagner means to this team in this city.

I asked Moritz Wagner as he sat with his brother Franz at the podium after the Pelicans game what this sequence felt like in the moment, with Mo getting to hype up Magic fans in the crowd again:

Yeah, it felt a little corny, not going to lie, but that is part of it.

Going out of the time out, I was like – okay, this is like one of those moments in the game where we may need an Energy Moment.

We were kind of in the mud a little bit. So that was a big opportunity.

Des trapped him with me, we figured out a way to make it a successful play.

I felt… it is obviously awesome… when you work so hard behind the scenes, and get to see the fans, get to see the game live, but you are really not participating.

To be able to engage after such a long time is really cool and very fulfilling.
Moritz Wagner