By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Orlando Magic rookie forward Franz Wagner got a taste of his first NBA All-Star Weekend experience while lifting Team Barry to win the Rising Stars Challenge.
His role in the final may have been limited (he picked up 6 points across both Friday games), but he came up clutch to hand his team the win with a free throw after getting fouled by G League’s Jaden Hardy on a layup.
“That was cool”, Wagner told reporters about winning the game for Team Barry. “It was cool how we got together in such a short time and I definitely had a lot of fun”.
The 20-year-old German got to collaborate with legendary coaching figure Rick Barry for the event, and he shared the piece of advice he’s learned from the Hall of Famer. “It was really all just to have fun and compete out there”, Wagner stated.
Under the revamped format, Wagner would be able to compete in the Rising Stars challenge again next year, while he’s also looking forward to making it to more All-Star Weekend activities, namely the All-Star Game.
“Yeah, definitely” [about his desire to return next year]. “I thought that was a lot of fun and the coolest part was that I got to meet with so many cool people that are a big part of the NBA community”.
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