Markelle Fultz has seemingly had a confidence issue in his first NBA season, so you may think being criticized by arguably the greatest player in Philadelphia 76ers history would make things a lot worse. However, the rookie insists it only serves as motivation for him.
Earlier in the week, Sixers legend Julius Erving said his former team made the wrong choice by trading up to No. 1 in last year’s draft to select Fultz. Dr. J essentially stated the obvious by saying Philly should have picked Jayson Tatum instead, and Fultz was asked on Thursday about the unflattering remarks.
.@MarkelleF to @phillysport on Dr.J saying #Celtics' Jayson Tatum probably should have been No.1 pick: " I proved why I should be the No.1 pick in college and they drafted me as the No. 1 pick. Now, I'm here. All I can do is improve and keep moving from here. That's all it is."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) May 4, 2018
.@MarkelleF said he's "never" going to let Erving's comments get to him. "It's motivates me if anything," Fultz said.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) May 4, 2018
It stings even more, of course, that the team the 76ers swapped places with in the draft was the Boston Celtics, who ended up with Tatum. Those same Celtics now have a 2-0 series lead over Philly in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, and Fultz has been benched for both games.
Fultz had a shoulder injury during the season, but there have been indications that a lot of his first-year struggles are mental. No one saw this coming from the former Washington star, and Dr. J would probably love to see Fultz prove him wrong next season.
