Magic's Moe Wagner 'Overwhelmed' by Love after Season-Ending Knee Injury

Many of the Orlando Magic have said they're dedicating the rest of this season to Moe Wagner, who suffered an ACL tear in his left knee on Saturday. The sound of that, Wagner said, is "overwhelming."

Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner (21) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. – On the Kia Center floor Monday night, the Orlando Magic's Jalen Suggs, Trevelin Queen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony were celebrating a win as impressive as any this season.

Seriously undermanned and trailing by double digits in the second half, the Magic had rallied to beat the defending champion Boston Celtics. As the postgame interview wrapped, Anthony had one final remark:

"This one is for Moe Wagner," the fifth-year guard barked as he and his teammates formed hearts with their hands. "Every one is for Moe Wagner."

THIS ONE WAS FOR @moritz_weasley pic.twitter.com/zOVV8WDX0z

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 24, 2024

Sitting at home because of a season-ending knee injury, the 27-year-old center posted the latest public display of his teammates' love on his social media:

From #Magic center Moe Wagner’s Instagram story: pic.twitter.com/fByVbpJ9MW

— Mason Williams (@mvsonwilliams) December 24, 2024

Earlier that Monday, Wagner spoke to reporters for the first time since his injury. "I'm overwhelmed with everyone, the love [and] appreciation you receive. I'm also convinced that this is not like this everywhere, so it's important for me to be here, too, to a certain extent, as much as I can. This group is amazing. You can just feel how much love there is and how much it means to everyone."

Wagner, using crutches, wore a leg-length black brace that matched his all-black outfit. He mentioned how he was in the process of searching for positives so soon after the injury. Among those? He's not the first Magic player to deal with an injury of this magnitude.

He noted the resilience shown by Jonathan Isaac, who missed three years with the same injury and was in the facility twice a day to rehab it. It was Isaac who had helped Wagner put on his compression sock before his media availability.

"I have no doubt that I can do it," Wagner said. "I think right now, for me, it's honestly just a sadness about not being able to play and not being able to do what you want to do. But I'll get over that."

His teammates have made it clear after consecutive comeback wins that they are dedicating their efforts to Wagner. Hearing that, Wagner said, made him emotional.

"This group really is amazing. Coaches, players, it kind of speaks to how close we are," Wagner said Monday. "The support I got from my friends, they're teammates, but they're primarily friends. How they won (beating Miami), I don't know. But I was happy for them and [will] continue to support them this year. I'm excited to see how the group evolves and grows. There's so many fun days ahead and this shouldn't take away from that at all."

Carter was one of the first to check up on his teammate the night of his injury. He'd been ejected from the Heat game in the second quarter — just minutes after Wagner's injury.

"It was quick," Carter said of the interaction. "His parents were back there with him so I wanted to give them their moment. His brother (Franz) was back there. Just wanted him to be surrounded with his family love, so it was quick. I was just telling him I was praying for him, hoping that everything goes well [and] surgery goes well whenever he goes through that."

Because of a rare scheduling quirk, the Magic are spending the final three weeks of 2024 at home. That allowed Moe and Franz's parents, as well as several of their friends from Germany, to celebrate the holiday together in Orlando.

Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner (left) and Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (right) look on against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena. / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

"It's amazing for me, for them probably too, but it's also a challenge for the environment, right?" Moe said. "Like, it does something when you see a loved one like that. I realize that, too. It's not easy for your mom and parents to see you like that, so we're finding our groove with that, to be honest with you. But in general, having the holidays, having some friends over from Germany — it's good to have a distraction.

"Life isn't over, there's other things in life that matter. This is part of what we do, and we sign up for this. Can't complain about it for too long, so you get the emotions out and hopefully move on."

On Saturday after the game, coach Jamahl Mosley had asked that reporters withhold questions about Wagner's injury. The Magic had no diagnosis at that point and the subject was an emotional one. On Monday, with the news confirmed that Wagner's season was over, Mosley was asked how he handles himself in those moments.

"Honestly, that's a fantastic question," Mosley began. "I say that because it's part of what you try to ask our guys to do in those moments, but the reality is we're all human beings. It broke me a little bit. I teared up as I watched Moe go down because you watch the work that he's put in, you watched the tear he was on. He was in running, probably, in my mind, for Sixth Man of the Year. The energy he brings to this team, the toughness that he brings to this team, it shook me a little bit. That's the reality of it.

"To be able to control the emotions, you kind of got to let them go in that moment because we're in the human beings business. We're in the relationship business. For us to be able to know that what he's going through, you've got to be able to express that regardless of what is seen or heard. You have to be able to express that for your guys and for your team."

For a Magic team that has grown and matured together as professionals, it's not cliché when they say they're a band of brothers rather than a group of teammates.

Anthony told Magic on SI that Wagner was one of his "favorite people [he's] ever met during [his] years with the Magic." Before a career night Monday, Queen wore Wagner's Michigan jersey into the arena.

That's Moe Wagner's Michigan jersey TQ wore in. https://t.co/TMgbHx14UV

— Mason Williams (@mvsonwilliams) December 24, 2024

The breadth of Wagner's loss is felt by the organization as a whole. A friend told Wagner that he'd come out of this as the best version of himself. His teammates subscribe to the same line of thinking.

"One thing I know about Moe, man, is that he's going to bounce back," Anthony said. "Whenever that is, he's going to attack that rehab and he's going to be back stronger than ever. I know that for a fact."

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