The Markelle Fultz era will always be looked back on as one of the more confusing ones for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers made a big move on draft night in 2017 to move up to select Fultz with the first overall pick and there was a ton of hype and excitement around him.
Then, it got weird.
He missed a lot of time with a bizarre shoulder injury that nobody knew where it came from and he was then accused of having the “yips” meaning it was all mental. He played a grand total of 33 games in about a season and a half in Philadelphia before being moved to the Orlando Magic.
Wilson Chandler, who is now with the Brooklyn Nets, but played with Fultz during his short time in Philadelphia, opened up on the Fultz situation with Bleacher Report’s Mirin Fader. He had this to say about the accusation that Fultz had the “yips” as he told Fader:
“There were rumors going on about his mental health. I don’t think that’s fair,” says former Sixers teammate Wilson Chandler, who’s now with the Brooklyn Nets. “How do people know? Nobody’s around him. Nobody’s interacting with him. They aren’t seeing what he’s doing with his teammates or family.”
Fultz is having a bit of a breakout season with Orlando averaging 11.8 points and 5.1 assists and he has become the regular starting point guard for the Magic, but Sixers fans will remember him mostly in a suit rather than in uniform.
The city of Philadelphia did not hate Fultz despite the fact that his time in the City of Brotherly Love was one of the more frustrating eras in Sixers history. In fact, they supported him more than most athletes in this city. They exploded just when he would take shots, let alone make any, they rooted for him to succeed no matter what it took to get there.
When Fultz and the Magic make their only trip to the Wells Fargo Center on April 5, there will probably be some more boos from the Philadelphia faithful. However, that is more just a product of him wearing a Magic jersey more than what transpired here with the Sixers. [lawrence-related id=26717,26707,26695]