“I think a lot of people have forgotten me. I believe in work and I know that I still have a lot of time. » Markelle Fultz is in fact only 25 years old and is no longer in the spotlight, as he was in 2017 and for a while then.
That year, the playmaker was drafted first, ahead of Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum, by the Sixers. It is therefore, like any first Draft choice, highly anticipated. But his debut was a failure, and not just a little. He only played 14 matches, averaging 7.1 points, and all the discussions centered around his shoulder.
An imaginary injury?
The player would be injured and this would have had the consequence of considerably modifying his shooting gesture. If we use the conditional, it's because at the time, no one was able to put their finger on the problem. However, visually, we can only see that the former Washington player in the NCAA is no longer the same.
“I knew my shoulder wasn't feeling well, but I kept playing,” he remembers in a long article from The Ringer. “I gave my all even though I was aware of not being 100%. I felt like I could contribute to my team. After four matches, my agent spoke to me and asked if everything was okay. He saw things and told me we had to stop and find a solution. »
The doctors will not be able to find the source of her illness, which adds to Markelle Fultz's incomprehension. ” They did not know. I had MRIs done and that was probably the hardest thing to deal with. They say they don't see anything. But I know it's not okay physically. But when doctors say that, it boggles the mind. I know there is a problem but they say no. »
From then on, the discomfort increases. Wouldn't the player's problems be mental? “The mental aspect was hard to hear because I have the feeling of being mentally strong, playing despite everything and being on the floor in front of the fans. I think many people were wrong when they said I had mental issues and demons. »
He refuses to undergo surgery and remove a rib
Above all, he had doubts about the rest of his career. “Will I ever be able to shoot like I used to? ». But that's where his mental strength speaks. “I didn’t want to give up. I had moments where I told myself that I was going to play with my left hand and work on it. Giving up was never an option. I'm not going to lie: I had days where I thought about it, but it didn't last. »
Then the diagnosis is finally made: he suffers from thoraco-brachial outlet syndrome. A disorder that causes compression of the nerves and blood vessels between the collarbone and the first rib. This is not always visible on MRI, which explains the first diagnoses. For the first time, the player is in agreement with a specialist. “He explained things to me and I was relieved: yes, that's exactly how I feel. »
This injury, rather well known among baseball pitchers, can require playing billiards, which significantly slowed down Markelle Fultz. “The scariest thing was the options: we talked about surgery and removing a rib. It scared me”, he confides. As there is no guarantee of complete recovery with this procedure, the former Philadelphian favored a gentler method.
When he returns, he will no longer wear the Philadelphia jersey since he was transferred to Orlando in February 2019, for a fresh start. His first season in Florida was very good and easily established himself as his best in his career. But the problems are not over yet.
A young veteran
In January 2021, when the season had just started, he suffered a ruptured cruciate knee ligament. He only played 26 matches between the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. Last season, he did great things with an average of 14 points, starting alongside Paolo Banchero. Then, this year, after a few matches, he hurt his knee again and went to the infirmary for two months…
“I feel old with all the things I’ve been through”he can only observe, he who refuses to give up. “He has the opportunity to do unique things in the league”continues his coach Jamahl Mosley. “He impresses me, in relation to this first choice status, what goes with it, the expectations, the pressure”comments Paolo Banchero, first choice of the 2022 Draft. “I take my hat off to him because it’s not easy to do what he did and experience what he experienced. »
There have been many glitches along the way and Markelle Fultz will probably never be at the level expected when she left university. But he hopes to have a decent NBA career.
“My state of mind has not changed”he concludes regarding his ambitions. “I'm proud to be one of those guys who never gives up and never gives up. »
| Markelle Fultz | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | PHL | 14 | 18 | 40.5 | 0.0 | 47.6 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 7.1 |
| 2018-19 | PHL | 19 | 23 | 41.9 | 28.6 | 56.8 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 8.2 |
| 2019-20 | ENT | 72 | 28 | 46.5 | 26.7 | 73.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 12.1 |
| 2020-21 | ENT | 8 | 27 | 39.4 | 25.0 | 89.5 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 12.9 |
| 2021-22 | ENT | 18 | 20 | 47.4 | 23.5 | 80.6 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 10.8 |
| 2022-23 | ENT | 60 | 30 | 51.4 | 31.0 | 78.3 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 14.0 |
| 2023-24 | ENT | 30 | 22 | 47.7 | 9.1 | 63.0 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 8.1 |
| Total | 221 | 26 | 47.2 | 27.0 | 72.8 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 11.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
