Episode 36: Markelle Fultz (featuring Sue Bird & Mero)

The Old Man and the Three with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter

On this episode of the Old Man and the Three, JJ and Tommy sit down with rising NBA star Markelle Fultz. **Disclaimer**: this interview was conducted the day before he unfortunately suffered a season ending knee injury in Orlando on January 6th. Despite that horrible circumstance, it'll be easy to see that the road that lies ahead of him right now is nothing he can't conquer. An incredibly mentally strong player, Fultz talks about his injury and recovery, dealing with pressure and the expectations of being a number 1 pick, and how it felt being the target of a negative media attack. If there's one player we know can get through a difficult situation and bounce back on his feet, it's Markelle. We wish him nothing but the best and know he'll be back on the court soon enough. Now, to lighten things up a bit, the episode gets capped off by a spectacular TOP 5/Draft with close friend of the pod Sue Bird, and 1st time guest Mero (from Desus & Mero). This one is a fight to the finish. Don't miss it. RUNDOWN Markelle Fultz Has the daily Covid testing effected his preparation On the precautions that are being made to avoid contact Discusses his new contract and finding the right fit On the difficulty of being injured his first year and re-joining the team late in the year Explains how his unique draft situation all broke down How hard was it for him to shut everything down after being the number one pick What was the emotional and mental toll that the year took on him​ Were there any moments of doubt during the injury of whether he can still do it Dealing with that doubt and channeling it into something positive Was getting drafted #1 important to him On playing against top competition in high school On the unique movement of his body within his game Discusses how underrated his teammate Nikola Vucevic is Talks about coach Steve Clifford Does the Magic embrace the role of underdogs Does he appreciate his situation now TOP 5/Draft with Sue Bird & Mero To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.