After years of drafting hyped up prospects in the lottery that became the treasure of the franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2018 NBA Draft Class has been relatively quiet. The team’s lone first-round selection, Michigan alum Moritz Wagner, has played in only one game in the pros, missing his sole shot in those two minutes.
Wagner has a way to go to crack the rotation, getting most of his minutes since his return from injury in the G-League with the South Bay Lakers. But even with a limited impact on the court, Wagner is already a superstar in his hometown of Berlin, Germany:
#LakeShow rookie Moe Wagner has a new mural in his hometown of Berlin, Germany 🙌🙌🙌
(Via @moritz_weasley) pic.twitter.com/EDFfRXt23X
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) November 27, 2018
Unveiling the huge mural in Berlin, Wagner wrote on his Instagram:
“My city will always be part of me. And I will always be part of my city. Berlin, thank you for preparing me to fly!!”
For international players, playing in the NBA is a huge achievement, even with the influx of foreign talent in recent years. Wagner may not be getting much playing time but to go from growing up in Berlin to being drafted by the most storied franchise in the NBA is nothing to sneeze at.
Hopefully, this mural will be just the first step towards Moe taking flight in his professional career.
