Leg injuries have a way of putting the simple things in perspective. You understand how much you take mobility for granted. It sometimes feels like even the most basic things have to be re-learned.
Right now, Moe Wagner likely feels as if he is at the bottom of a steep hill. He can see the breadth and scope of the climb ahead of him, and it could feel overwhelming.
After all, without the power of walking as Wagner crutched from the team's locker room area to the backdrop to speak to the media after the Orlando Magic's shootaround Monday, you have to learn everything over again. You have to have the patience to wait until your body is ready for the next steps and you have to have the determination not to give up when things get hard.
Rehab is hard.
There is indeed a tall mountain for Wagner to climb. As much as the ever-positive and perceptive Wagner wants to put his focus and his energy on being optimistic, even he has to feel the pain and frustration that his breakout season is over and that he will not be able to play basketball for a little while.
Everyone feared the worst when Wagner drove through the lane late in the first quarter of Saturday's loss to the Miami Heat and he collapsed with a non-contact injury. Those fears were confirmed when the Magic announced he had torn the ACL in his left knee.
Now, he is staring at a tall mountain to climb to return to the court. It starts with that single step. Whether it is getting up to crutch across the court to speak to the media or even something as simple as a teammate like Jonathan Isaac who has been through this injury showing him how to put on a compression sleeve.
The journey back to the top starts with that first step. And Wagner's journey is just beginning.
"You look for a moment where you feel like you can walk the hill back up," Wagner said after shootaround Monday. "Obviously, it's emotional because the biggest part for me is you don't get to play basketball for a while. Competing is one thing, winning, the NBA and all that is cool. But what you're really trying to do is play and you don't get to do that for a while. You have different challenges ahead but there is also a lot of positives you can draw out of this. I'm trying to put my energy there."
Wagner said he could feel almost immediately that something was wrong when he went down. He tried initially to get up and shake off the injury. But when he could not stand, the gravity of the injury began to hit him. He was quickly assisted to the locker room as his teammates and the arena held their breath.
A career season—one that teammates and coaches believed could have had him in the running for Sixth Man of the Year—came to a screeching halt.
Wagner said he is not excited for rehab. He would much rather be playing and putting his competitive energy there. But he is preparing to put his focus and competitive energy toward returning to the floor.
All that is left is the long uphill climb to recover from the injury as difficult as it can be to digest.
"The reality is we are all human beings. It broke me a little bit," coach Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround Monday. "I teared up as I watched Moe go down because you watched the work that he's put in and watched the tear he was on—he was in the running in my mind for Sixth Man of the Year—the energy he brings to this team, the toughness he brings to this team. It shook me a little bit."
It is still a long road ahead with many challenges. The injury is still so fresh that even a relentlessly positive and perceptive person like Wagner is working to put all his energy toward being optimistic.
After the game, Magic players all sent their well wishes and prayers to their teammate. They all dedicated the team's epic comeback win to him, noting how hard he worked just to get to this spot. Wagner had truly ingrained himself within the team and their culture. They had to bottle some of their emotions to get through the game.
Wagner means a lot to this team.
A representative of Magic culture
Moe Wagner's teammates have long lauded his work ethic and everything he had to overcome to become an essential player to the team. They fed off his energy. Now they are hoping their energy will feed Wagner through his recovery.
Jamahl Mosley said the team will wrap its arms around Wagner to support him in his recovery. Wagner is feeling the love from his teammates and that is lifting him up at this early stage.
"I'm overwhelmed with everyone—the love, the appreciation. The support is incredible," Wagner said after shootaround Monday. "I'm also convinced this is not like this everywhere. So it is important for me to be here too to a certain extent as much I can because this group is amazing. You can just feel how much love there is and how much it means to everyone."
Wagner’s story is one of the great success stories of the Magic. And few players can capture what it has meant to rise with this team than Wagner. And that love is certainly earned.
This is a player who was nearly out of the league before signing with the Magic in 2021. He had to fight and earn his spot on the roster, let alone the rotation. His hard work and determination rubbed off on everyone.
It is one of the reasons his injury is so devastating. He found his place in the league and the Magic were a vehicle that not only saved his career but to cultivated him as one of the best reserve players in the league.
It is a major loss on the court—he was averaging a career-high 12.9 points per game—and off the court with his constant energy during games and focus off of it. Wagner has helped build this Magic culture as much as anyone.
"Just him as a person, the sacrifices he has put in, the work he has put in. There's really not many words I can say for how I feel about it," Wendell Carter said after shootaround Monday. "It's really heartbreaking to lose a guy like that for this organization. he does so much for us on and off the court. To see someone go down with news like that, it's sad obviously. I'm wishing the best for him on a speedy recovery."
The journey begins
There is a long road back from a torn ACL. It is not the injury it used to be, and Moe Wagner should be able to return. All that is left is that hill to climb.
Wagner is going to tackle that the same way he has tackled everything in his career so far. He said he has no doubt he can do it.
Wagner said there is still sadness at this early stage. That is natural even as he tries to put his focus on the positive. But there is work to do. And that is something Wagner has always been good at tackling and overcoming.
"I think right now, I'm still pretty emotional about it," Wagner said after shootaround Monday. "I have to actively put my energy . This is what you do. This is why we do this. You love challenges. This is another part and another challenge of it. This is not the end of the world. We are blessed with technology and medical staff and all these things that put me in a position to come back from this. I'm not excited for rehab, but you have to celebrate the small wins too and I'm excited to grow from this."
The climb back has just begun.