Moritz Wagner

Moritz Wagner is one of three challengers on the twelfth season of ProSieben’s quiz show “Wer stiehlt mir die Show?”, which premieres today at 20:15 on ProSieben, with a free livestream on Joyn [5]. The contestants are trying to take over the hosting job from Joko Winterscheidt [6]. Wagner is first and foremost a basketball player: a German forward-center who played five seasons for the Orlando Magic and was part of the Germany team that won the 2023 FIBA World Cup [1] [4].

From Berlin to the NBA draft

Wagner was born on 26 April 1997 in Berlin [1] [2]. His full name is Victor Moritz Wagner [2]. The NBA lists him at 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) and as a forward-center [1].

The NBA profile also lists 18 games for ALBA Berlin II, without a season [1]. German press reports that he started his basketball career at ALBA Berlin and moved to the United States in 2015 to play for the University of Michigan [7]. He was drafted in the first round in 2018, with the 25th pick [1]. The Los Angeles Lakers used that pick, and his first season there, 2018-19, brought 43 games with five starts [1] [8]. He also started six games for South Bay in the NBA G League that season [1].

Washington, Boston and then Orlando

The Washington Wizards came next. They gave him 45 games in 2019-20, with five starts, and 25 games in 2020-21, with 13 starts [1]. A short spell with the Boston Celtics, nine games in 2020-21, followed [1] [8].

Wagner joined the Magic midway through the 2020-21 season and played 11 games there that year [1] [8]. He stayed for the next four seasons, and the Magic kept him through the 2024-25 campaign [1]. He appeared in 63 games in 2021-22, with three starts, and in 57 games in 2022-23, with 18 starts [1]. In 2023-24 he played 80 games, the most of any season in his NBA profile, with one start [1]. German press says his younger brother Franz was on the Magic at the same time [7].

A knee injury and a contract extension

His 2024-25 season ended early. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and appeared in 30 regular-season games, with one start [8] [1]. He then skipped EuroBasket 2025 [8]. In July 2025 Orlando kept him on a one-year contract extension worth five million dollars for the 2025-26 season [8]. Eurohoops reports that ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed the deal on a Friday, which its page dates to 4 July 2025 [8].

The 2023 World Cup title

Germany won the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time on 10 September 2023, beating Serbia 83-77 in the final at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila [4]. FIBA’s official list of NBA players at the tournament names Moritz Wagner for Germany, listed with the Orlando Magic [3]. German press describes the title as the first one won by the team around the Wagner brothers, and calls it the biggest achievement of his career so far [7].

Germany also competed at the Olympics. Olympedia records a men’s basketball finish of eighth for Germany at the 2020 Games and fourth at the 2024 Games [2]. Olympedia lists Moritz as the brother of Franz Wagner [2]. German press says Moritz also played for the team at the Paris Games, which finished fourth [7].

Brooklyn and the television project

The NBA profile now lists Wagner with the Brooklyn Nets [1]. German press says his contract with the Nets dates from summer 2026 [7].

The television project is a different kind of work. ProSieben’s press release for season 12 describes him as a basketball player, and names comedian Carolin Kebekus and entertainer Jens “Knossi” Knossalla as the other challengers [6]. The release says six new episodes were recorded in Berlin from 1 June 2026 [6]. The episodes stay in the usual Sunday 20:15 slot on ProSieben [5]. Each episode also has a wildcard candidate who tries to take over the hosting job [5]. The winner of each episode designs and hosts the next one [7].

Asked about his approach, Wagner is quoted as saying he learned that he can make a complete fool of himself (translated from German) [7].