There’s always a debate in Philadelphia about whether an athlete is truly a “Philly guy.” While that’s typically a nonsensical argument that relies on a lot of broad generalizations, I think Markelle Fultz fits that mold.
A 6’4” point guard who can score smoothly and effortlessly at all three levels—and is the assumed first-overall pick in next week’s draft—doesn’t sound like the blue collar hero this city goes gaga over, but Fultz wasn’t always this guy. As a sophomore in high school, a time when future college stars start having YouTube mixtapes with hundreds of thousands of views, Fultz was stuck on the junior varsity team for Dematha Catholic in Hyattsville, Maryland.