Magic Magic guard Markelle Fultz had a torn season under ACL in Wednesday night’s 105-94 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Magic announced.
Less than five minutes into the game, a floating Fultz was cut off by Isaac Okoro, the Cavs rookie, and Fultz’s left knee bowed without contact.
Fultz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, wriggled on the floor for minutes before being helped into a wheelchair.
Fultz posted a tweet later Wednesday, and partially wrote, “God has a plan for me and I know that this adversity will only make me stronger in the end.”
“I believe in my brothers in this team and we have so much more to prove,” Fultz wrote in his tweet. “To all the fans. Keep riding with us. I will approach this recovery with all my heart and be the best teammate I can be at this organization. Faithful to the times.”
Fultz signed a $ 50 million three-year extension last month and finally showed the promise that made him an overall choice when he quickly started the Magic this season. He scored the best 14.3 points of his career in the seven games, as well as 3.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
Fultz was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as part of their long rebuild, but struggled for years with a difficult-to-diagnose shoulder injury that was ultimately determined to be the chest outlet syndrome, a nerve that affected the feeling in his arm and hand. He was traded to the Magic in February 2019.
“It’s a huge blow for us,” said Magic center Nikola Vucevic, whose team will also be without striker forward Jonathan Isaac this season due to an ACL tear. “Unfortunately for [Fultz] it’s really sad because he had the injury on his shoulder for two years, and last year he finally played and it was supposed to be a big year for him. He was ready and he started the season fantastically. This is really for a guy like him who has been working back all over again. It’s hard to see, and you feel for the guy. ‘
Terrence Ross, who got 20 points off the bench to lead the Magic, expressed confidence that Fultz would bounce back from his injury.
“If anyone can handle it, it’s ‘Kelle,'” Ross said. “He got the heart of a lion. He is very talented. He is always positive. I know he will be able to handle it, and we all got his back and will be here for him.
“You hate to see it, especially for a man who has fought through so much and come back and been on the ball. It’s one of the things that will make him stronger and he will come back from this. I have no doubt.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.