Magic PG Markelle Fultz Thankful for Orlando 'Open Arms'

Markelle Fultz enjoyed the best season of his career with the Orlando Magic in 2022-23.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 18, 2023

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - It's been a little over four years since the Orlando Magic took a gamble and traded for former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz.

Fultz played just 33 games across two seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers before a trade to the Magic turned his career upside down. But now, it appears Orlando is reaping the benefits of that trade.

After struggling to fit in with the Sixers, Fultz has built a new home with the Magic.

"They let you be who you are," Fultz said on the "Knuckleheads" Podcast. "And like it was just dope, you know, and also coming here and being able to help the team win and just do certain things, that makes it even better ... Just building the love that I have here and the open arms and how supportive everybody is here is really, really dope."

After a successful first full season with the Magic in 2019-20 where he played in all 72 games, Fultz played in just 26 games over the next two seasons and Orlando started to plummet in the standings.

This past season, a finally healthy Fultz played 60 games for the Magic and averaged a career-high 14 points, 5.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds as Orlando improved its record by 12 wins.

When Fultz plays, the Magic is better, and the fans show their support. It's part of what helps motivate Fultz to get the team to the next level.

"To see the crowd just continue to build, even with us getting beat, and like the pushes that we're making now, it's fun and it makes you wanna play even harder to see the city go crazy," Fultz said.

Should Fultz continue to improve and the Magic remains on its current trajectory, it won't be long until the city goes crazy.

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Published Apr 18, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.