On Saturday, the two NBA pros Moritz and Franz Wagner played side by side for Germany for the first time. In their second international game together, it will be special for the brothers.
Moritz Wagner sees his brother Franz, who is four and a half years younger, as a role model of sorts. “I can learn very, very much from him. He has built a niche for himself in our family. All three of us are loud. He looked at that and thought, now I’ll be a little quieter and think before I talk,” the 26-year-old Wagner said of the 21-year-old, with whom he plays together for the Orlando Magic in the NBA. The younger Wagner brother is considered the more introverted of the duo. On Wednesday, the brothers have a special international match in their hometown Berlin. Their opponent in the second test of the summer will be World Cup co-favourite Canada.
Proud, however, is not the right word for his feelings, said Moritz Wagner. “I don’t care about all that. This is my little brother, I would love him anyway. I’m really enjoying watching him.” Alongside captain Dennis Schröder, the Wagners are considered to be Germany’s guarantee of success this summer for the World Cup in Asia (25 August to 10 September).
First names on the jersey
Franz Wagner especially likes the energy of his brother, who missed the home European Championships and the bronze medal win last year due to injury. The two brothers also had a good relationship growing up. “I used to imitate everything to him as a child. That’s where the dynamics change when you get older. We just want to have fun together,” Franz Wagner told us. The two brothers will wear their first names as lettering on the national jersey in the World Cup summer.
