Considering all the star power Team USA, Team Canada, and others brought to the Paris Olympics it is not easy for other players to break into the news circle. And yet, social media has been buzzing around Franz Wagner’s performance against the host country France. 

The young Magic star and the German national team took care of business, beating Frace despite their supersized front court of Victorn Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. Wagner was not shy and put on a show with some highlight dunks. 

His performance drew plenty of eyes—and not just from Orlando Magic fans. 

Three-time NBA champion Dwayne Wade is trying his hand at commentating, acting as NBC’s color commentator next to Noah Eagle. While the Hall of Famer is still getting his feet wet as a commentator, he seems to be enjoying the new gig so far. 

Watching Franz Wagner’s performance against France was especially enjoyable, it seems. After the game, Wade congratulated Wagner in person and took to Instagram to share his new fandom of the German forward. 

In a later interview with BasketNews.com, Wade expanded on the moment with Wagner. 

“I put on my Instagram that I’ve just become a big fan of Franz Wagner. You don’t get to see Orlando Magic a lot on TV. And so to be able to see him up close and personal, we just saw something pretty special,” he said. 

Wade is calling out an issue that has been bothering Magic fans for a while now. The Magic have a recent number-one pick, who is on his way to NBA stardom, and a roster packed with young talent. And yet, barely any Magic games made it on national TV last season. Even the Magic’s first-round playoff series against the Cavaliers was initially placed outside the national spotlight, as the league seemingly deemed it the least interesting series in the East. 

The Magic’s 2023-24 success turned plenty of heads, however. Big national media outlets have even voiced their opinions on the Magic’s offseason and considered what the team still needs to become a true contender. The Magic are on the rise, so hopefully, Dwayne Wade and everyone else will soon get the chance to see them on national TV more often.