Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick in Thursday's 2017 NBA Draft, joins a young Philadelphia 76ers roster. Photo courtesy of the
Philadelphia 76ers/Twitter
June 23 (UPI) -- When Markelle Fultz found out he would be working out for the Philadelphia 76ers, he had one question for his trainer: Does Philly have a Chick-fil-A?
The former Washington star point guard admitted the concern in an article Friday for The Players' Tribune. In the article, titled "What's Up, Philly," Fultz writes about his excitement for joining the Sixers' young core. He also discusses his relationship with his mom, sister, trainer and Mr. Joel 'Trust The Process' Embiid.
Fultz dispelled rumors that he "refused to work out for the Sixers." Last week, he earned an invite from the franchise. Fultz found out about the workout Friday morning, days before the Sixers and Boston Celtics finalized a trade for the No. 1 pick. His trainer, Keith, told him the news. But Fultz had only one thing in mind when he heard it.
"Then Keith hit me up and said, 'New plan. Philly,'" Fultz wrote in the article.
"I was just waking up. So I was like, 'OK, cool. Do they have Chick-fil-A there?'"
"A crispy chicken sandwich for breakfast. It's kind of like my good luck charm. Keith never got back to me about that important question. So I found out for myself. I googled it immediately."
Fultz found out that Philly has six of the popular food chain establishments.
"Seven if you count the one at the airport. Boston has zero Chick-fil-As, for what it's worth," he wrote.
When he arrived at the Sixers' training facility, the franchise pulled off an ace move.
"They'd ordered Chick-fil-A. It was there waiting for me on a table. For real. A bunch of sandwiches," Fultz wrote.
"I don't know how they knew, but they knew."
"And I know it's not a big deal, but a little part of me was thinking, Respect. They did their research."
While Fultz favors Chick-fil-A for his morning eats, he does have a favorite cheesesteak place. That honor goes to Larry's Steaks. But the prized prospect has yet to go to Pat's King of Steaks or Geno's Steaks, something he admitted Thursday on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
According to VisitPhilly.com, John's Roast Pork is the top place to get a cheesesteak in Philadelphia. Pat's comes in at No. 3, while Geno's is ranked No. 4.
Fultz said he goes to Larry's Steaks. That's the same place that Kobe Bryant favors in the battle for Philly's best cheesesteak. Bryant attended Lower Merion High School and grew up in the city.
