Ebony Fultz raised her son, Markelle Fultz, and daughter, Shauntese, by herself after their father abandoned them.
2017 First-team All-Pac-12 Markelle Fultz recently made headlines after he signed with the Sacramento Kings on February 12th, 2025.
Highlights
- Ebony Fultz never allowed her son, Markelle Fultz, to compromise or give up on his dreams.
- Despite challenges from poor coordination and a lanky physique, Fultz was the first overall choice in the 2017 NBA draft.
- His mother, Ebony, heavily controlled his schedules, choices, and finances.
The Kings desperately needed a replacement for De’Aaron Fox, who was recently traded. Hence, they were employing Malik Monk as a point guard.
Since Fultz was rehabbing from an injury during the offseason and remained unsigned for the 2024-25 season, it is unclear whether he will start swiftly.
Despite The Absence Of A Father Figure, Fultz Found Comfort And Encouragement In His Mother And A Local Instructor, Keith Williams
Sacramento Kings standout point guard Markelle Fultz‘s childhood and early life was fraught with challenges and emotional turmoil.
Fultz grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, alongside his older sister, Shauntese.
One of the first and most painful moments of his life is his father abandoning him, his mother, and his sister.
Hence, Fultz heavily relied on his mother, Ebony Fultz, who sheltered and guided him throughout his childhood.
Despite the absence of a father figure, Fultz found comfort and encouragement in his mother and a local instructor, Keith Williams.
Being a single mother is grueling, but Ebony never allowed her children to compromise or give up on their dreams.
Markelle developed a passion for basketball from an early age. Additionally, he received excellent coaching and assistance from Keith Williams.
Fultz became more serious about his dreams and goals. Hence, in 2012, he enrolled at DeMatha Catholic High School, a well-known basketball school.
While everything seemed to fall seamlessly into place, he faced another challenge shortly after his second year.
Despite showing his potential, his awkward running style and lanky build jeopardized his spot on the varsity team.
Coaches described him as looking like a Bambi because he was long and lanky, and his knees seemed to hurt when he moved. Thus, they believed Fultz was not ready.
However, this setback pushed him to overcome his coordination and physical growth issues.
Therefore, he performed so well on the junior varsity (JV) team that it became evident he was overqualified for that level.
He pushed himself further and eventually became one of the best high school players in the country.
Despite facing setbacks early in his career, his quiet ambition and drive to prove doubters wrong have fueled his rise to becoming a top NBA prospect.
Ebony Fultz’s Controlling And Domineering Behavior Might Stem From Her Grueling Experience As A Single Mother
Markelle and his mother, Ebony’s hardship and resilience received a fruitful outcome as the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
However, the No. 1 overall pick suddenly lost his ability to shoot, and every update on his situation seemed stranger than the last.
Due to a shoulder condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), he failed to adapt his offensive skills from college to the NBA, and many consider him a draft fail.
Therefore, Candace Buckner from The Washington Post investigated whether his struggles were due to a physical injury, mental pressure, or both.
During the investigation, she discovered an unexpected fact about his mother, Ebony Fultz, who was described as a highly dominating and dominant character in his childhood.
Ebony was overbearing and protective, with heavy involvement in his career. Besides her, Fultz’s agent, Raymond Brothers, also controlled him.
Hence, their control forced Keith Williams, who guided Fultz and improved his shooting form, to get out of his position.
Moreover, all of the blame was put on Williams. However, he denied responsibility, pointing instead to a shoulder injury from the summer before his rookie season.
Williams recounted Fultz mentioning that the pain felt like “somebody’s holding my arms down” in 2017. This is an early symptom of thoracic outlet syndrome.
According to some credible sources, Ebony had installed indoor security cameras during his first season.
As excessive and invasive as it sounds, she had everybody engaged with her son sign non-disclosure agreements for unknown purposes.
However, her domineering behavior does not end there. Ebony had built a reputation for frequent confrontations with coaches, starting from Markelle’s youth basketball years.
Furthermore, she has shouted at instructors and even confronted his trainers about his performance.
Many say her over-involvement hampered her son’s capacity to mature and flourish independently.
Hence, Markelle could have realized his full potential if Ebony had given him more autonomy.
Similarly, a Reddit post by r/nba, A behind-the-scenes look into what happened to Markelle Fultz in Philadelphia, delved much deeper into Markelle and his mother’s dysfunctional relationship.
[Weitzman] A behind the scenes look into what happened to Markelle Fultz in Philadelphia
by innba
While the source of information cannot be deemed credible, the post claims that Ebony controlled Markelle’s schedule and finances.
The mother and son often fought over trivial matters like cleaning storage boxes or buying a new car.
Even though Markelle had achieved significant success, she continued to see him as her baby boy. Moreover, Ebony would frequently call him over a day.
However, her authoritarian attitude escalated after Markelle relocated to a new home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Hence, she set up security cameras, eavesdropped on him, and even reprimanded him for private conversations she overheard.
She would become upset when Markelle invited girls over at night. Furthermore, Ebony printed flyers urging neighbors to avoid pestering Markelle.
When Markelle argued with his roommate, Tappin, over these fliers, Tappin had to leave.
Hence, he and his mother got into a furious dispute. After the argument, Markelle sobbed as he ran into the street, lamenting his success.
Markelle found momentary solace while spending time with Joel Embiid after his life was in turmoil and his support system shrank.
However, this brief peace was short-lived as their friendship soured following his other altercation with Ebony.
While whatever Ebony did was unnecessary, we must acknowledge that her action reflects her experience as a single mom raising multiple children.
Additional Information
- Before beginning his NBA career, Markelle Fultz played college basketball for the Washington Huskies.
- Moreover, Fultz played point guard and shooting guard for the Huskies.
- Besides the Philadelphia 76ers, he played for the Orlando Magic, recording a career-high 28 points and four steals during a 113–108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
