Markelle Fultz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Markelle Fultz

Fultz with the Orlando Magic in 2019
Free agent
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1998-05-29) May 29, 1998 (age 27) Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S.
High school	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	209 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College	Washington (2016–2017)
NBA Draft	2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	2017–present
Career history
2017–2019	Philadelphia 76ers
2019–2024	Orlando Magic
2025	Sacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American – AP, NABC, SN (2017) First-team All-Pac-12 (2017) McDonald's All-American (2016) FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship MVP (2016)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA Americas U18 Championship Gold 2016 Chile National team

Markelle Fultz (born May 29, 1998) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Markelle played college basketball for the Washington Huskies. After college, he was chosen as the very first player in the 2017 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He later played for the Orlando Magic and the Sacramento Kings.

Markelle Fultz's Early Life and High School Basketball

Markelle Fultz playing at the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game.

Markelle Fultz was born on May 29, 1998, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He grew up with his mother, Ebony, who was a big support for him. Markelle loved basketball from a young age. A local coach, Keith Williams, helped him learn the game.

In 2012, Markelle started attending DeMatha Catholic High School. This school was known for its strong basketball program. As a freshman, he showed promise on the team. However, when he was a sophomore, he was cut from the main varsity team. He was only about 5 feet 9 inches tall and moved a bit awkwardly.

But Markelle worked hard and played very well on the junior varsity team. It became clear he was too good for that level. An assistant coach from the Washington Huskies college team, Raphael Chillious, saw his talent. He believed Markelle could become an NBA All-Star if he kept growing and improving.

By his junior year, Markelle had grown to 6 feet 3 inches. He became a starter for DeMatha's varsity team. He averaged 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He was even named the Player of the Year in his competitive league. During this time, many colleges started offering him scholarships.

On August 21, 2015, Markelle decided to play for the University of Washington. In his senior year, he averaged 19.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He also set a school record for assists in a single season with 278. He helped his team win their conference championship for the second year in a row.

Markelle played in big high school games like the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. In the summer, he joined Team USA for the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. He was the top scorer for the team, helping them win the gold medal. Markelle was even named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

By the end of high school, Markelle was considered one of the top basketball players in his class. He was ranked highly by major sports scouting services.

Markelle Fultz's College Basketball Career

Markelle Fultz joined the Washington Huskies for the 2016–17 season. He became the team's main leader and scorer. In his first game, he scored 30 points.

Even though the Huskies had a tough season with a 9–22 record, Markelle had an amazing freshman year. His average of 23.2 points per game was the highest in his conference in 20 years. He also led the team in assists and was second in rebounds.

Markelle was recognized for his great play. He was named to the First-team All-Pac-12 and a Third-team All-American. Many sports experts believed he would be the first player chosen in the 2017 NBA draft.

Markelle Fultz's Professional NBA Career

Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers (2017–2019)

The Philadelphia 76ers chose Markelle Fultz as the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. The team had high hopes for him, along with other young stars like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. They wanted to make it back to the playoffs.

In his first regular season game on October 18, Markelle scored 10 points. However, he soon developed a shoulder injury. This injury made it very hard for him to shoot the basketball. The 76ers decided he should stop playing until he recovered.

There was a lot of talk about whether his shooting problems were from the injury or something else. Markelle later said clearly that it was an injury that stopped him from shooting properly. He worked with a trainer to fix his shooting form.

On April 11, 2018, Markelle made history. At 19 years old, he became the youngest player in the NBA to get a triple-double. This means he had at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game. This record was later broken by another player.

For the 2018–19 season, Markelle started as the team's shooting guard. But after 15 games, he lost his starting spot. His shoulder issues continued to cause problems for him and the team. In November 2018, it was announced that Markelle had thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). This condition affects nerves in the neck and shoulder, making it hard to move and shoot.

Because of this injury, Markelle found it difficult to show the same amazing scoring skills he had in college. Some people called him a "draft bust" because he couldn't perform as expected.

Playing for the Orlando Magic (2019–2024)

On February 7, 2019, Markelle was traded to the Orlando Magic. His new coach said that his shoulder injury was very serious. Markelle made his debut for the Magic on October 23, 2019, scoring 12 points.

On December 27, 2020, Markelle scored 26 points in a game against the Washington Wizards. However, on January 6, 2021, he suffered another serious injury. He tore a ligament in his left knee (called an ACL) and missed the rest of the 2020–21 season.

Markelle returned to playing on February 28, 2022. On April 10, he had a career-high 15 assists in a game. On March 18, 2023, he scored a career-high 28 points for the Magic. He played for the Orlando Magic until the end of the 2023–24 season.

Playing for the Sacramento Kings (2025)

On February 12, 2025, Markelle Fultz signed with the Sacramento Kings. He played for the Kings during the 2024–25 season.

Markelle Fultz's Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

College Stats

See also

In Spanish: Markelle Fultz para niños