Markelle Fultz is seen as someone who had a future in the NBA if he was playing for the right team. Things did not work out with the Philadelphia 76ers but his fortunes appeared brighter with the Orlando Magic. Unfortunately, his run has come to an abrupt close as far as the 2020-21 NBA wars are concerned.
The 22-year-old suffered a season-ending ACL tear on his left knee when the Magic went up against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He suffered the injury with less than five minutes gone in the game. Orlando went on to win the match but Fultz's loss was huge.
The top pick of the 2017 NBA Draft was driving against Cavs rookie Isaac Okoro when the injury happened. He awkwardly planted his left leg in the play and ended up crumpling the floor and grabbing his knee. A video on how it happened can be seen below.
Markelle Fultz goes down with a knee injury Prayers Up pic.twitter.com/X84gxT8qyU — NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) January 7, 2021
The top pick of the 2017 NBA Draft was driving against Cavs rookie Isaac Okoro when the injury happened. He awkwardly planted his left leg in the play and ended up crumpling the floor and grabbing his knee. A video on how it happened can be seen below.
It was a sad development for the 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists to help the Magic race to a 5-2 start. The injury also comes not long after Fultz signed a fresh three-year deal with Orlando last month worth $50 million.
Despite ending his season on a sour note, Fultz remained positive about his future and the Magic’s changes this season. Rather than sulk he believes God has a plan for him and vows to come back stronger.
"I believe in my brothers on this team and we have so much more to prove," Fultz wrote in his tweet. "To all the fans. keep riding with us. I'm going to approach this recovery with all my heart and be the best teammate I can be to this organization. Faithful to the grind."
It was an unwanted development for the Magic who are already without Jonathan Isaac due to an ACL tear as well. Teammate Nikola Vucevic admits Fultz’s injury is a big blow for them and feels sorry for the third-year guard.
“He was ready and he started the season out awesome. This really sucks for a guy like him who has worked his way back. It's hard to see, and you feel for the guy,” Vucevic said.
But as far as Terence Ross is concerned, Fultz is someone who can weather the adversity and bounce back from this injury.
"He got the heart of a lion. He's super talented. He's always positive. I know he will be able to handle this, and we all got his back and will be here for him,” Ross said.
