“He was like a big brother to me”- Markelle Fultz appreciates former Philadelphia 76ers teammate JJ Redick standing up for him in front of the media
Markelle Fultz has heaped praise on his former teammate JJ Redick for standing up for him in front of the media. The former was a number one pick in the 2017 draft. However, injuries have hampered his career and all the potential growth he promised in his short stint in the league.
Redick, who played with the Philadelphia 76ers for 2 seasons, was one of the biggest mentors in the team. His presence was a very important part of 'The process'. The 37-year-old's ability to shoot the ball was one of the team's biggest strengths. Markelle Fultz was a rookie when Redick was in Philly. Although Fultz had a lot of promise coming into the league. The youngster did not have a great rookie year. Media houses criticized the youngster for his poor performance. Speaking about how Redick took a stand for him, Markelle Fultz said on The Rematch:
"Everybody wanted to see what Markelle was doing, I was the number one pick at that time, you know everything was going on. But you would just see guys continue to grab a tape or try to record me or put out whatever they could. Cause you know as a reporter, I understand they have a job and they need to make headlines. But they were just always trying to get on me and JJ happened to be shooting in front of him and me and him had talked a lot, he was like a big brother to me and he understood like what the media was doing. It didn't really affect me to a certain extent because I knew what was going on but he just stood up for me"
“JJ Redick stood up for me to the media. He went off on them in front of the camera and I really appreciated that a lot. He was like a big brother to me” Markelle Fultz
#TheRematch #JJRedick
basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-r… https://t.co/GwGJ3a3FSB
Fultz only played a total of 33 games for Philly. He suffered a shoulder injury which affected his shooting performance. After just two seasons, Philly lost patience in Fultz and traded the youngster to the Orlando Magic.
Will Markelle Fultz ever return to the level he promised before entering the league?
Markelle Fultz came into the league after a terrific college career. He was a top ranked prospect, courtesy of his shooting skills. When he decided to go pro, just as many predicted, Fultz turned out to be the number one pick in the draft.
His career didn't turn out as expected, as he delivered below par performances which eventually found him receiving a lot of criticism. After a lot of disappointment it looked like Fultz had found a home in Orlando, however, a horrendous knee injury has put a pause to his career.
In addition to on-court work with the @OrlandoMagic, @MarkelleF will also practice with Lakeland with the team on the road as he continues to ramp up his rehab process. More insight from Fultz and President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman: on.nba.com/3xsKS3J
With encouraging reports of his return from injury, questions are now being raised if Markelle Fultz will ever be the player he once promised to be. There is no doubt that he is talented. But just like many talents, injuries have played a big role in his decline. Returning back to playing basketball at this level will require Fultz to put in immense hard work.
Markelle Fultz has the qualities of a champion in him. He will be hoping to recover and soon make his way back into the league. With Orlando struggling to find some offense, his addition later this season or at the start of the next could definitely bolster their roster.