Let's say you want to apply a nickname to Moritz Wagner, backup center and skilled shit-stirrer of the Orlando Magic. How many letters is that nickname? The Defector staff had its own theories, but it seemed that there was no clear consensus among professional writers, so we resolved to find an answer.
According to SB Nation, the New York Post, Spain's Marca, ESPN.com, Eurohoops, NBA.com, Adrian Wojnarowski some of the time, the occasional Getty Images caption, and a large swath of NBA fans, the answer is two letters: Mo Wagner. As of writing, even his Wikipedia page has "Mo," which is disappointing, as that's the sort of thing that it typically gets right.
But as the older Wagner brother's own social media makes clear, and as we confirmed on Wednesday with the Orlando Magic comms department, all those instances are short one letter. Moe Wagner is his preference. The team said "Moritz" is also acceptable, but "Mo" is officially out. Spread the word.
This happens in sports from time to time. It took years for the realization that NFL placekicker Steven Hauschka was actually Stephen Hauschka, and had just been stuck with a misspelling back in college. Premier League midfielder Casemiro revealed that his name was actually Casimiro, but he said he didn't correct it out of superstition. Whereas quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn't want an "e" in his monosyllabic nickname, Wagner prefers to add one in. So, there you go: It's Moe.
