ORLANDO – Not long after releasing a high-arching 3-pointer from the left corner and seeing his shot swish softly through the net, Markelle Fultz playfully spun around and flashed a toothy grin at the Orlando Magic teammates standing behind him.
Finally, at long last, the former No. 1 overall pick said the game of basketball – and the success that he is starting to enjoy – is bringing him unbridled joy once again.
Of course, it’s been a couple of years since that’s been the case for the 21-year-old Fultz, who has had to deal with a puzzling shoulder injury that threatened to derail his promising career and one that often had him branded him as a bust after being the top overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.