Abroad Games Establish Grizzlies and Orlando Magic as eyes of ….

 

 

Abroad Games Establish Grizzlies and Orlando Magic as eyes of NBA in Europe!

 

The NBA said that there will be two regular-season games in Berlin and London. On January 15 and 18, the Magic will play the Grizzlies. What does this mean for Desmond Bane, Orlando’s German players, and the team’s place in the league?

 

The Magic Successfully Recruit an International Fanbase

It’s becoming a habit for the Kia Centre to have “Brazil Night.” Because Magic fans from Brazil are their fastest-growing market group, they’ve held a special party for them every January for the past two seasons.

 

An awful lot of people in places like Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro wear magic caps and jerseys.

 

Over half a million people watch the team on social media in Portuguese, and SportsFive says that 10% of all ticket sales come from Brazilians. They are very close to the Germans now.

In their home country, Franz Wagner and his brother Moritz Wagner are the stars of the NBA. Last season, Tristan Da Silva, who was born in Munich, joined the Magic.

 

Franz was the most valuable player (MVP) in the 2023 World Cup and led his country to the bronze medal in the 2022 EuroBasket.

 

In Germany, everyone knows about the brothers because they were the subject of a recent four-part documentary series that was shown across the country.

In this country, more people watch Magic games than any other NBA team. German fans are one of the league’s fastest-growing groups.

 

The Magic’s success in other countries isn’t a fluke. When the NBA eased up on foreign marketing during the COVID era, Orlando made a detailed plan to get more fans.

In order to connect with friends, they made social media accounts in Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

 

A Magic watch party that happened not long ago in Munich had a lot of people there and online as well.

 

To end the 2023 season, the team played in Mexico City and then faced Flamengo Brazil.

 

It’s not a surprise that Franz and Da Silva chose to play for Germany in Eurobasket 2025. This is another chance for Orlando’s basketball diplomacy plan to work.

 

Orlando’s German Players to Wear Blue and White in Deutschland

The Berlin battle will be a special one for Magic players. Da Silva and Franz will also be playing for the German team in Eurobasket this summer.

 

That is sure to raise Tristan’s profile in the country with his first national team appearance. Moritz Wagner is not guaranteed to be playing in January given his recovery from ACL injury. He should be seeing the court early in the season and likely would not miss the hometown action.

“To have the Orlando Magic and the NBA play a regular-season game in our hometown of Berlin means everything to us,” Said the Wagners  “Growing up here, we dreamed of moments like this.

 

It’s a huge honor to represent Berlin and Germany and show how much the city and country love basketball.”

Bane and Ja Reunited in Europe

“I was shocked, personally,”  Said Ja Morant after learning that his teammate Desmond Bane was traded to the Magic. “Des is going to a very talented Orlando team. I feel like he’s the piece that they’ve been missing.”

The Grizzlies had traded their expensive sniper for draft picks and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope because they had lost in the first round of the playoffs twice in the last three years.

 

The Magic were desperate to get shooting, so they made a move and made a huge deal to start the summer.

 

With their sights set on the ECF this season, everyone is excited to see Bane play with Banchero and Wagner and score close to 20 points per game.

 

The NBA roster hasn’t come out yet, but Bane will probably see his old team for the first time in Berlin.

 

He played with Morant in Memphis for all five of his seasons. On the back court, he and Jalen Suggs will play against Morant and Caldwell-Pope.

 

The team that let KCP go after one poor season is confronted by him.

 

The two games in another country will be a big deal for fans across the pond, and there will be lots of interesting things to talk about.

 

Spreading the Magic Across the Globe

Magic fans have long derided the league and television networks for less-than-generous offerings of primetime opportunities and national coverage.

The announcement that Orlando will make this European trek is a public display of confidence in the Eastern Conference darlings and a nod to their international appeal. Foreign fans are flocking to the NBA, with many of them choosing to root for Orlando.
The Wagner brothers are bonafide stars. With Da Silva’s opportunity to make a splash in Eurobasket, the Berlin game will be a historic milestone for the league.