Rejuvenated Fultz reflects on past criticisms: 'People say some crazy stuff'

Less than three years after the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him No. 1 overall in 2017, Markelle Fultz's NBA future was in doubt.

Shoulder injuries limited him to just 33 combined games over his first two NBA seasons. Even when Fultz was on the court, things didn't seem right. His shot mechanics looked out of sorts, especially during free-throw attempts.

Fultz was already being labeled a draft bust, and some questioned the validity of his shoulder ailments, suggesting his issues were more mental than physical. The 76ers ultimately dealt him to the Orlando Magic ahead of the 2018-19 trade deadline.

But amid all the chatter and his eventual exit from Philadelphia, Fultz kept a positive frame of mind.

"The thing is, it didn't really bother me," the 21-year-old guard told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "If I saw something negative, most of the time I laughed at it. Because it's just not true.

"People say some crazy stuff. I read somewhere that I got into a motorcycle accident. I cracked jokes with my friends about this stuff. People just don't know. I was (injured). That's it."

In Orlando, Fultz has revived his career. He's started 32 of 37 games for the Magic in 2019-20, averaging 11.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest.

Fultz has shown flashes of the scoring and playmaking instincts that made him a star during his lone collegiate season at Washington. And while he knows he can't do anything to erase his past failures in Philadelphia, he remains intent on making the most of his fresh start.

"I'm still the No. 1 pick," Fultz said. "That will never change. But I took care of the injury. I can play freely. I can do what I want. I can do what I love most. Every game I'm improving. Every game I'm feeling better. It helps when you see the ball going in. That just makes it even better."