We’ve reached the point of absurdity where basically nothing in the Markelle Fultz saga is, or should be, surprising.
And yet.
The Washington Post ran a story Friday afternoon about Fultz, a DMV-area native, and his confounding journey since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Sixers. It’s a well-sourced story from very good reporter Candace Buckner, and it includes plenty of tidbits, but absolutely nothing tops this section about his mother, Ebony:
“Fultz is now a professional on a four-year contract worth $33 million, but close associates said Ebony still goes to great lengths to shield him. During Fultz’s first season in Philadelphia, Ebony had cameras installed inside his New Jersey home, according to several people familiar with the setup who described the indoor surveillance as unusual. The cameras have since been removed. Multiple people said Ebony has asked some who have dealt with Fultz to sign nondisclosure agreements for reasons that are unclear to them.
‘There’s definitely crazy [expletive] going on with the mom and how involved she is and how overprotective she is,’ said a person with a close connection to Fultz. ‘The best possible situation is if the mom just backs off for a period of time and gives him a chance to breathe.’”
I uh… what?
It’s extremely important to note that parents will be parents, and parents are not reflective of their children. It’s probably not fair to laugh at Fultz for something his mom did.
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It is, however, definitely fair to add this to the long list of reasons Fultz is having trouble finding his game, and himself. Can you imagine trying to just hit a few dang threes — something you’ve been doing for years on end — when your mom wants to put cameras in your house? That's not an environment conducive to growth.
The story, which lands one day after reports that the Pistons are interested in trading for Fultz, also says the Sixers have turned down multiple trade offers for the beleaguered 20-year-old.
Fultz, you might remember, is currently away from the team seeking medical opinions about his shoulder and Thoracic outlet syndrome.
I won’t even try to guess what bonkers story about Fultz we’ll hear next.
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