Markelle N'Gai Fultz (born May 29, 1998) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Washington Huskies The Washington Huskies are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) N ...

before being selected by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

with the first overall pick in the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

. During his single season (2016–17) with the Huskies, Fultz played

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

and

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

. Despite Washington's relatively disappointing year, he was named a third-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

and first-team All-Pac-12. He began his NBA career with the 76ers before being traded to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

in 2019 and later signing with the Kings in 2025. Unable to translate the offensive prowess he had in college to the NBA due to a shoulder injury known as thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), he is considered by many to be a draft bust.

Early life

Fultz was born on May 29, 1998, in

Upper Marlboro, Maryland Upper Marlboro, officially the Town of Upper Marlboro, is the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population within the town limits was 652, although Greater Upper ...

, the younger of two children. His father abandoned the family, so he relied heavily on his mother, Ebony.** Impassioned by basketball, Fultz was mentored in his early years by a local instructor named Keith Williams. In 2012, he began attending DeMatha Catholic High, an all-boys prep school and basketball powerhouse. He had shown promise on the DeMatha Stags' freshman team; but as a sophomore, the guard was cut from the varsity roster. He was overlooked due to his awkward gait, having the appearance of "

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American Animated film, animated Coming of age, coming-of-age drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Loosely based on Felix Salten's 1923 novel ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'', the ...

"; as assistant coach Cory McCrae explained, "He was long and lanky, and he’d walk and his knees would be hurting". However, Fultz outplayed the competition at the junior varsity level, making it apparent that he did not belong there. Assistant coach Raphael Chillious of the

was the first to notice Fultz's potential, describing him as an athlete with the makings of an

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

-caliber player if he continued to grow. At the start of his junior season, Fultz stood . As a starter for DeMatha's varsity team, he averaged 16.8

points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...

, 7.9

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, and 4.3 assists per game and was named the Player of the Year in the highly-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Among the highlights of his junior campaign were the game-winning foul shots he made in a 16-point performance while being guarded by Jayson Tatum of Chaminade and the

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

he posted in a matchup against Roselle Catholic at the Hoophall Classic. His recruiting stature abruptly soared during this season, with Rivals.com ranking him number 24 in the Class of 2016 and over 20 college programs offering him scholarships. On August 21, 2015, Fultz committed to the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

. As a senior, he averaged 19.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game where he concluded his high school career as he recorded the Stags' single-season record for assists with 278 and led the team to their second consecutive conference championship. At the

McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...

on March 31, 2016, Fultz tallied 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. At the

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school all star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys and girls in the senior class. In 2015, a girl's game was introduced. Th ...

come April, Fultz accumulated 19 points in a 131–117 East team victory. During the summer, he was selected to Team USA's FIBA Americas Under-18 roster. With Fultz as its leading scorer, the team progressed to the gold medal championship game; and in dominant fashion, Fultz posted 23 points and earned the tournament's

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

award for his performance. By the end of his senior year, Fultz was rated as a five-star recruit considered a top-ten recruit in the 2016 class. He was ranked as the third best point guard in the 2016 high school class and number three overall by Scout.com, number five by Rivals.com, and number seven by

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

. At DeMatha, Fultz was a basketball teammate and friend of Chase Young, who was later named the 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after being selected by the

Washington Football Team The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

second overall in the 2020 NFL draft.

College prospect info

College career

The

were fully expecting to open the 2016–17 season with Dejounte Murray and

Marquese Chriss Marquese De'Shawn Chriss (born July 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies men's basketball, Wash ...

; instead, however, both freshmen were selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft. Fultz said of the anticipated scenario if they had stayed: "I think we would be No. 1 in the country. We would have gone to the (NCAA) tournament and won". Without any proven talent and only one returning starter, Fultz took charge as a team leader and primary scorer. As the starting

, he debuted in a 98–90 home game loss to the

Yale Bulldogs The Yale Bulldogs are the college sports teams that represent Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school sponsors 35 varsity sports. The school has won two National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA national championships ...

in which he posted 30 points. Although the Huskies finished with a disappointing 9–22 record, Fultz enjoyed one of the best freshman seasons in all

Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

history. In 25 games that season, his 23.2 point average was the highest mark in the Pac-12 in 20 years and second in Huskies history behind Bob Houbregs' 25.6 points per game in 1952–1953. Fultz also led the team in minutes played with 35.7 per game as well as assists with 5.7 per game and was second in rebounds with 5.9 per game. By the time Pac-12 honors were awarded, Fultz—‌the lone Husky selected—‌was named to the First-team All-Pac-12 and Third-team

. A player who "jumps off the page athletically and possesses creative scoring instincts and playmaking skills", the consensus among sports analysts was that Fultz would be the first overall pick in the

Professional career

Philadelphia 76ers (2017–2019)

Fultz was selected as the first overall pick in the

by the

, who then finalized his four-year rookie contract on July 8. The 76ers, after years of mediocrity, had lofty expectations of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2012; such were the high hopes that rested on their new core consisting of Fultz,

Joel Embiid Joel Hans Embiid ( ; born 16 March 1994) is a Cameroonian and American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks men's ...

, and Ben Simmons. In his first regular season game, on October 18, the rookie posted 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 18 minutes of play coming off the bench. It was not long, however, before a shoulder injury—termed a "

scapula The scapula (: scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on either side ...

r muscle imbalance"—so ravaged his shooting that he shot only 33 percent from the field and attempted zero three-pointers in four games. In response, the 76ers decided to sit Fultz indefinitely until he recovered. Debate ensued between sports analysts and the organization over how much his shooting woes were of physical versus psychological origin. Fultz himself later clarified: "What happened ..was an injury. Let me get that straight. It was an injury that happened that didn’t allow me to go through the certain paths that I needed to, to shoot the ball." During his hiatus, Fultz's basic shooting mechanics appeared to change under a trainer from outside the 76ers organization; this and his lengthy recovery period taken were heavily scrutinized. The team's president of basketball operations, Bryan Colangelo, suggested that the rookie might very well sit for the remainder of the season; but on March 26, 2018, it was announced that Fultz would return to the hardwood for an upcoming game against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. Despite some missteps, such as one air ball shot and some shots blocked, Fultz put up 10 points and 8 assists in 14 minutes of playing time. On April 11, at the age of 19 and 317 days, Fultz became the youngest player in NBA history at the time to record a

, putting up 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 130–95 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

, a record that was later broken by LaMelo Ball. For the 2018–19 season, head coach Brett Brown named Fultz the starting

over veteran JJ Redick. Fifteen games into the season, however, Fultz lost the position to Jimmy Butler, whom the 76ers acquired in a trade with the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

. Conflicting statements regarding Fultz's health and poor production continued to be sources of conflict and drama for the team. On November 20, 2018, his agent Raymond Brothers announced Fultz would not participate in practice or games until a shoulder injury was evaluated; his ailment was later described as thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), the neurogenic type of the disorder which “affects nerves between the neck and shoulder resulting in abnormal functional movement and range of motion, thus severely limiting Markelle’s ability to shoot a basketball”. Unable to recreate the offensive prowess he had in college to the NBA, due to the shoulder injury, he is considered by many to be a draft bust.

Orlando Magic (2019–2024)

On February 7, 2019, Fultz was traded to the

in exchange for Jonathon Simmons, an Oklahoma City Thunder first-round pick, and a Cleveland Cavaliers second round pick. Magic coach

Steve Clifford Steven Gerald Clifford (born September 17, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and executive who serves as a front office advisor for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the ...

later stated in March that he did not anticipate Fultz returning to play during the season, stressing that his shoulder injury was indeed "very serious." Fultz made his Magic debut on October 23, 2019, putting up 12 points, six assists, and two steals in a 94–85 win over the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. On December 27, 2020, Fultz put up 26 points in a 120–113 win over the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. On January 6, 2021, Fultz suffered a torn left ACL against the

in the first quarter and missed the remainder of the 2020–21 season. Fultz resumed playing on February 28, 2022, against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. On April 10, Fultz put up a career-high 15 assists in a 125–111 win over the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

. On March 18, 2023, Fultz recorded a career-high 28 points and recorded four steals during a 113–108 win over the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

Sacramento Kings (2025–present)

On February 12, 2025, Fultz signed with the

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 14 , , 0 , , 18.1 , , .405 , , .000 , , .476 , , 3.1 , , 3.8 , , .9 , , .3 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 19 , , 15 , , 22.5 , , .419 , , .286 , , .568 , , 3.7 , , 3.1 , , .9 , , .3 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, 72 , , 60 , , 27.7 , , .465 , , .267 , , .730 , , 3.3 , , 5.1 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 12.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 8 , , 26.9 , , .394 , , .250 , , .895 , , 3.1 , , 5.4 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 18 , , 3 , , 20.0 , , .474 , , .235 , , .806 , , 2.7 , , 5.5 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 60 , , 60 , , 29.6 , , .514 , , .310 , , .783 , , 3.9 , , 5.7 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 43 , , 18 , , 21.2 , , .472 , , .222 , , .697 , , 3.2 , , 2.8 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 7.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, 21 , , 0 , , 8.8 , , .418 , , .500 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 2.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 255 , , 164 , , 24.0 , , .470 , , .280 , , .732 , , 3.2 , , 4.4 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 10.4

Playoffs

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2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 7.6 , , .143 , , , , .750 , , 1.0 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , .0 , , 1.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 29.3 , , .400 , , .375 , , .857 , , 2.2 , , 5.2 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 0 , , 15.1 , , .588 , , .000 , , .556 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .0 , , 6.4 , - class"sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 15 , , 5 , , 18.3 , , .446 , , .353 , , .700 , , 1.9 , , 2.6 , , .7 , , .2 , , 7.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 25 , , 25 , , 35.7 , , .476 , , .413 , , .649 , , 5.7 , , 5.9 , , 1.6 , , 1.2 , , 23.2

References

External links

*
Washington Huskies bio

USA Basketball bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fultz, Markelle 1998 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Prince George's County, Maryland DeMatha Catholic High School alumni First overall NBA draft picks McDonald's High School All-Americans Orlando Magic players Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Philadelphia 76ers players Point guards Sacramento Kings players Shooting guards Sportspeople from Upper Marlboro, Maryland Washington Huskies men's basketball players