Orlando Homecoming, Magic Ties Still Near and Dear to Markelle Fultz's Heart

Markelle Fultz had his Orlando Magic homecoming on Saturday evening after spending the previous five seasons with the franchise. Although on the other side, Orlando is still somewhere Fultz can call home.

After five seasons with the Orlando Magic, Markelle Fultz signed with the Sacramento Kings earlier this season. | Fernando Medina, Getty Images

ORLANDO, Fla. –– Sat in the Kia Center's visitors' locker room, Markelle Fultz still felt at home.

For the first time since his five-year tenure with the Orlando Magic came to a close this summer, Fultz was back in his old home arena on Saturday night as a member of the Sacramento Kings.

Beloved by Magic fans and countless figures within the organization alike, his return was always going to be special – regardless of the opponent it came against or the outcome of the contest.

"It's been dope, for me, being able to come back here," Fultz said before his Kings fell 121-91 to his old squad on Saturday evening. In over 13 minutes of play, he tallied six points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals.

"It's like a home for me," Fultz said. "I've been here for five years, so it's somewhere dear and near to my heart. Just seeing familiar faces [and] guys that I've built relationships with over those years, whether it's players, coaches ... It's love. It's a lifetime relationship that I have with those guys."

"I think it's documented, it's known ... how I feel about Markelle, how we feel about Markelle, and what he does, what he means, who he is as a young man, as a husband, as a father," said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, who was with Fultz for three years, before Saturday's contest. "All of those things about Markelle Fultz, I cannot speak more highly of a young man that I've ever been around.

"He walks into a room, he lights up a room, he's smiling. He cares about others more than he cares about what's going on with him. I don't know how many times I said it on this podium – all he wants to do is be out there with his brothers and play basketball ... There's no more words I can say about how great of a young man he is and how happy I am for him with the opportunity with Sacramento."

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley daps then-Magic guard Markelle Fultz on the sideline. | Adam Hagy, Getty Images

Once the game tipped, Fultz said there would be no friends on the court until the clock read triple zeroes. But every moment before and after that was filled with hugs and hellos.

Throughout the night, Fultz spent time with Magic coaches, teammates, arena and team staffers, and broadcasters alike. No matter if it was over two hours before tipoff or the second after the final buzzer sounded, there was plenty of catching up to do from the previous year.

And, the Magic did welcome Fultz back with a minute-long video during the evening's first timeout. While it played, a picture-in-picture display showed Fultz watching the video on the outskirts of the Kings' huddle. Then, at the video's conclusion, Fultz was shown in full frame as he thanked the sold-out crowd for the warm ovation with a wave of gratitude.

For many, though, Saturday wasn't their first time hearing from or seeing Fultz in some capacity.

Despite no longer being on the team and now back on the NBA's never-ending grind himself, Fultz has been following along with the Magic from afar. He checks in and communicates with his former teammates regularly.

"Luckily I'm in the West, so I don't have to root against them too much, but [I'm] supporting all those guys," Fultz said. "I want to see all of them win. These are guys that I've been able to build a relationship with not only on the court but off the court, so I'm always rooting for them to do well. Anytime I have a chance to, I try to watch them and root for them."

In his distanced observation, what then has he made of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and the rest of the Magic this season?

"They're killing, man," Fultz said."They're hoopers, super talented guys along with the other guys on the team. It's dope to see those guys deal with the injuries that they had to deal with in the season and still come back and make a strong push to be able to keep balling and keep it up."

"It was great to see him," Banchero told reporters in the Magic's postgame locker room. "I've texted back and forth with [Markelle] a couple times throughout the season, [and] was one of the first people [who] congratulated him when he got signed. So, just to see him over there run up and down the floor playing, it's awesome. It was good to have him back in Orlando."

Added Banchero: "I'm glad they made a video and tribute for him, because I really do think he played a huge part in turning this thing around the last few years."

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) and guard Markelle Fultz (20) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Fultz made 149 starts and played in 201 games during his stint with the Magic. Orlando acquired the former No. 1 overall pick at the 2019 trade deadline, but he wouldn't debut for the team until the following season because of thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulder.

In the 2019-20 season, however, Fultz played 72 games – the most of any Orlando player that season. The Magic made the playoffs in a COVID-shortened season, but that would be their final trip back with much of that team's core.

Signing a contract extension in December 2020, Fultz endured many personal injuries of varying severity, a coaching change, and both the teardown and assembly of Orlando's current rebuild.

Fultz continued to see things through. In the end, he played 43 games during the Magic's 47-win campaign that took them back to the playoffs a year ago, then averaged 15.1 minutes a game while appearing in all seven games of the Magic's first-round playoff series.

When Fultz became one of three players from last year's 15-man Magic roster to not return, he transitioned his focus to getting healthy over the summer. Fultz decided to take his time during the process, he said, and it's worked out well for him.

Sacramento signed him in February to a deal for the remainder of the season, and he said he's hoping to "take full advantage" of the opportunity. Similar to the Magic, Sacramento is pushing to secure its playoff seeding. (The Magic secured at least a Play-In spot on Saturday evening.) Fultz wants to contribute to that effort and make an impact however he can.

"I don't even like the fact that we had to talk about him being back in the league," said Cole Anthony, who warned there would be no replacing the energy Fultz brought to the Magic's locker room, to reporters on Saturday. "It should have never been like this. But, it's just good to see him back where he belongs, hooping, doing his thing."

Orlando may have spoiled Fultz's homecoming, and the resilient competitor inside of him may not like that. But the only reason he wasn't rooting for the Magic on Saturday is that he was matched up against them.

If his past experiences hadn't suggested it strongly enough, Saturday's actions confirmed it: Fultz, whether suited in the Magic's blue and white or not, will always have a home in Orlando.

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