Durant fouled Wagner on a three-point attempt and Wagner’s instincts took over, which led to a welcome to the NBA moment
rlando Magic big man Moritz Wagner was a college basketball standout during his three years at Michigan, helping the Wolverines reach the Final Four in 2018. It led to him being drafted 25th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers that year.
Playing for the Lakers meant playing the Golden State Warriors four times a year and during Wagner’s rookie season, the Warriors had the five-man All-NBA lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins with Andre Igoudala coming off the bench.
During the second matchup between the Lakers and Warriors that season, Wagner was fouled by Durant on a three pointer, and talked trash to him without knowing — something Wagner wishes he hadn’t done.
“I’m a huge NBA fan,” Wagner told Pardon My Take. “I know all these guys from YouTube. I watched all these games at night. …All of a sudden, I’m on the court with them. And obviously, my first year, I’m a little starstruck.”
Mo Wagner in his first year in the league told Kevin Durant “you cant guard me” pic.twitter.com/nwKHwA0H5I
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) December 6, 2023
“Kevin Durant guards me and I think he’s not taking me serious at all. He doesn’t even know who I was, and I’m on a pick-and-pop three and he fouls me. and I didn’t realize it was him and turned around and was like ‘Yeah, you can’t guard me.'”
Wagner then had a welcome to the NBA moment. When Wagner went to the free throw line after accidentally talking trash the No. 10 scorer in league history, he was ambushed with trash talk from Green, Cousins and Durant.
