No. 1 pick Fultz raring to help turn things around for Philly

Washington’s Markelle Fultz answers questions during an interview after being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the No. 1 pick overall during the 2017 NBA Draft. AP

Markelle Fultz believes that the process for the Philadelphia ends here.

With the 76ers picking him first in the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday (Friday Manila time), the 6-foot-4 playmaker out of Washington hopes that the franchise can finally turn things around after years of languishing in the league’s cellar.

“It’s a great opportunity and I’m very excited really. Just the fans in Philly, how they back up their players and everything like that, I’m just looking forward to going in there and giving it my all and hopefully changing the program around,” he said.

READ: 76ers take Fultz with top pick in NBA draft

Philadelphia turned heads three days before the draft when it moved up the board and swapped picks with Boston, exchanging its no. 3 pick in this year’s class alongside a future first rounder for the right to select the 19-year-old Fultz.

Fultz is excited to start a new chapter in his basketball career with the 76ers, gaining confidence from the positive feedback he got when he worked out with the team last week.

“I felt confident in my workout. And just seeing the players there and everybody there happy, and them talking to me after the workout, just telling me they liked what I did and everything like that and trying to work out something, I just feel happy for myself. Like I said, all I needed is an opportunity, and I got the opportunity, so I was satisfied,” he said.

READ: Sixers like Fultz first, Lakers eye Ball as NBA draft looms

Fultz has a chance to prime Philadelphia for the future alongside last year’s top selection Ben Simmons and promising center Joel Embiid, both of whom he has been in constant touch with through social media.

“(Simmons) went to Montverde, so going there, I kind of knew about him and followed him on Twitter, Instagram, and then we ended up exchanging numbers. And I’ve been texting him through the college process, and just getting advice through college and just wishing him good luck,” he said.

“And of course, everyone knows Embiid from Twitter and how funny he is and how good of a person he is. In the last couple weeks and stuff I started talking to him a lot more. He used to tweet and retweet my stuff. Like I said, once he figured out I had a chance to go there, he started showing more love and everything like that.”

READ: Markelle Fultz set for the stage of being No. 1 pick

Being drafted is the easy part, but making your mark with the team is harder, and Fultz knows that although he’s on cloud nine now, the real work is ahead of him.

But like Simmons and Embiid have embraced in their stay with the Sixers, Fultz has no hesitations about trusting the process.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and that’s pretty much what they were indicating to me, to just have fun with this process no matter where I go, and I’m happy that I came here,” he said.