For 5 Orlando Magic players, the state of Michigan is a special place

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksFirst-Round PredictionsHollinger's Playoff PreviewThe Bucks' Season From HellPlayer Poll: Who Will Win Title?For 5 Orlando Magic players, the state of Michigan is a special placeFranz Wagner, who scored 19 points in the Magic's Game 1 victory over the Pistons, spent two years at the University of Michigan. Rick Osentoski / Imagn Images Share articleDETROIT — No one should doubt the allegiance of the overwhelming majority of the 20,000 fans who will pack Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday for Game 2 of the Detroit Pistons’ first-round series against the Orlando Magic. The crowd will be pro-Pistons all the way, as it should be. But it would not be a surprise, either, if at least some people within the crowd cheered for several Magic players not so long ago. Five members of the Magic’s 15-man roster went to college in the Wolverine State. Center Moe Wagner, forward Franz Wagner and swingman Jett Howard attended the University of Michigan. Wing Jamal Cain grew up in the Detroit area and went to Oakland University. And rookie guard Jase Richardson spent one year at Michigan State University before he declared for the draft. They all maintain a soft spot for the state. “It’s always special playing here,” Franz Wagner said Sunday, after he played a significant role in the Magic’s Game 1 victory. “I spent, obviously, just two years (at Michigan), but it felt like a lot longer. It means a lot to be back here. I’m really proud of the time I had at Michigan.” For Franz and his older brother, Moe, attending the University of Michigan served as a crash-course introduction to the United States. The Wagners grew up in Berlin, Germany, and had not lived in the U.S. until they attended college. Moe was the first to make the jump, choosing the school instead of playing professionally overseas. John Beilein recruited him, and Moe said Beilein was the only coach from a major American university to offer him a scholarship. The elder Wagner played three years for the Wolverines, beginning with the 2015-16 college season. When he first enrolled, his English was so rudimentary that he felt insecure speaking it. “I always tell my mom that I’m very happy that my first spot in the States was here,” Moe said, “because I think the people are very normal, very down-to-earth, very likable, and it was a great introduction into the American culture for me.… “Obviously, it’s an awesome school. I’m very proud that I dared (to make) that jump, too. That was, back then, a big risk, and I didn’t really know what I was going to get myself into. So, I’m very happy I did that. I’m very proud of that and where it led us in life, too.” Howard was much more familiar with Michigan than the Wagners were when they enrolled. His dad, Juwan Howard, starred at the school in the early 1990s and was the Wolverines’ head coach when Jett spent his one-and-done season there in 2022-23. “It’s great, honestly, just being here,” Howard said before Game 1. “With Franz and Moe, it’s kind of weird because we all went to school right up the street. … I love the state of Michigan, besides (East) Lansing. I appreciated my time here.” Speaking of East Lansing, Richardson spent the Magic’s day off Monday on the Michigan State campus, visiting with coach Tom Izzo, Spartans staff members and some of his former teammates. His dad, former NBA star Jason Richardson, is from Saginaw, Mich., and attended Michigan State. About 90 minutes before Game 1 on Sunday, Jase Richardson completed his early pregame shooting regimen on the court, and when he walked toward the visitors’ locker room, Michigan State fans had gathered near the tunnel where Magic players went to and from the court. Richardson spent five minutes speaking with them. “I definitely felt a lot of love,” Richardson said. “Coming here, I always feel like I have some type of group cheering me on. Even though it’s a little bit more hostile than I would expect, there are always people still cheering (me) on.” When the Wagners play in Cleveland against the Cavaliers, they’re frequent targets of boos from fans of Ohio State. When the Wagners have stepped to the free-throw line, the main video board inside Rocket Arena has shown the University of Michigan logo in an attempt to prompt jeers. Moe Wagner said that fans’ negativity used to give him more motivation than it does now, but his perspective changed after he missed much of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons while he recovered from an ACL injury. “I understand (fans who boo) are just doing their job,” he said Sunday. “They’re here to have a good time. They’re not supposed to like me. They’re not supposed to like us. So I don’t really take it personally anymore. Sometimes, I use it to get myself riled up, but it’s not like it takes me out of my rhythm.” Moe, Howard and Richardson did not crack the Magic’s nine-man rotation in Game 1, which was closely contested. Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, making all five shots he attempted from the field. He said fans inside Little Caesars Arena tend to be nicer to him than fans at other road arenas, but so much is at stake in the playoffs that Sunday’s game was different. No matter what Pistons fans might say, the state of Michigan will continue to be a place he feels a special affinity for. “I think those two years (at Michigan) were really formative,” he said. “I think that’s why people remember where they went to college so much, and it was the same for me. Obviously, I learned a lot of things my first time away from home. A lot of the stuff that I believe in today, or habits that I have today, I built in those two years. So that’s why that time means a lot.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms