76ers fans were ecstatic to see Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, back on the court for the first time in months on Monday night. Fultz scored 10 points, dished out 8 assists, and grabbed 4 rebounds in 14 minutes of action during a 123-104 win over the Nuggets. He also received a standing ovation from the Philadelphia fans gathered at Wells Fargo Center.
But Philly fans are still confused as to why Fultz was out of the Sixers’ lineup for so long in the first place—and Fultz was in no mood to explain it after the game on Monday.
In addition to playing his first game since October, Fultz also met with members of the media for the first time in five months after the game against Denver, and he was, of course, asked about the mysterious shoulder injury that sidelined him for much of his rookie season. It was Fultz’s chance to put all of the speculation surrounding his injury to rest. But rather than tell reporters what he has been dealing with, Fultz literally ignored a couple questions about the injury that were posed to him.
According to Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Sarah Todd, the exchange between reporters and Fultz on Monday night went like this:
Did you do something to your shoulder or did you just start feeling soreness?
Some media members have pointed out that Fultz was likely instructed not to speak about his shoulder injury by the Sixers.
But it was still sort of bizarre to see him just sit in silence rather than issuing a "no comment" or saying that he’d like to wait until later to address his injury.
At any rate, Sixers fans were just happy to see Fultz back out on the court, even if they didn’t get an explanation as to why he’s been missing in action for much of the season. He’s expected to be back out on the court again when the Sixers take on the Knicks on Wednesday.
