Markelle Fultz said during the draft process he wanted to be the top pick in the draft "really bad," and on Thursday the Philadelphia 76ers made that a reality.

Fultz, a 6-foot-5 point guard, is headed to Philadelphia after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick, which the 76ers acquired days earlier in a trade with the Boston Celtics to move up two spots from No. 3.

Fultz, who spent one year at Washington, is only three years removed from playing junior varsity basketball in his native Maryland. Now he will begin his NBA career a 2½-hour drive away from home.

"When I heard my name called ... it was like God calling me," Fultz said after being selected.

In his one season with the Huskies, Fultz led all freshmen with 23.2 points, and also averaged 5.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 25 games, while showcasing top-pick talent despite playing on a team that finished a 9-22 campaign with 13 consecutive losses.

Asked Thursday night about the biggest misconception about him, Fultz said it was that he's "not a winner."

"I get tired of hearing that," he said. "Anybody that knows me knows how competitive I am. Look at my résumé through high school. I've been winning my whole life."

Only Kevin Durant (Texas, 2006-07) and Michael Beasley (Kansas State, 2007-08) averaged more points as a freshman over the past 10 seasons.

"He brings to the table a great athleticism," Philadelphia general manager Bryan Colangelo said Thursday night. "He is multitalented in terms of his offensive skill set. He gets to the basket, he penetrates, he's elusive, he can handle the ball. He's what you'd call your prototypical combo guard, a combo guard that can score in many ways, including shooting from the perimeter. It's an opportunity that we feel, just basketball-wise, playing alongside Ben Simmons, playing alongside Joel Embiid, Robert Covington, Dario Saric and others -- many others -- that it was the right player, the right piece to move this situation forward."

Embiid told ESPN's Josina Anderson on Thursday night that the Fultz pick was "a blessing" for the Sixers.

"He's the best fit for our team as a playmaker," Embiid said. "I like how humble he is and that he cares about winning a lot. That's what we need so we can finally change the culture here."

Fultz will join a Sixers core that is heavy on promise but light on NBA success. Thanks to the philosophy of the previous managerial regime, led by former general manager Sam Hinkie, the 76ers punted on immediate success to stockpile assets and build for the future. Dubbed "The Process," it has netted high-pick talents Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Simmons. However, injuries have sidetracked the franchise from seeing how its young talent fits together.

Okafor has been the closest thing to an ironman of the incumbent Philadelphia trio, having played in 103 of a possible 164 games in his first two seasons in the NBA.

Conversely, Embiid missed the first two years of his career because of injury. Drafted No. 3 overall in 2014, Embiid didn't make his NBA debut until this past season, playing in only 31 games because of a combination of injury and a preemptive rest plan. In his limited action, Embiid showed true promise and has become the living embodiment of Hinkie's vision, having nicknamed himself "The Process."

Simmons, last year's No. 1 overall pick, missed the entire 2016-17 season because of a broken foot. As a result, he and Fultz will be the first teammates to be No. 1 overall picks and rookies at the same time.

"Where we were and where we are, and the pieces, the real people that you can actually touch, and the three people that we're mostly talking about now in Embiid and Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, the city has to feel fantastic," coach Brett Brown said. "I know the organization does."

Asked if he has been in recent contact with Hinkie, Brown allowed that he sent Hinkie a simple text message recently that read: "Thank you."

Fultz's selection at No. 1 makes Washington the first program to provide the first overall pick in both the NBA and WNBA drafts in the same academic year. Huskies senior Kelsey Plum was taken No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Stars in April's WNBA draft.

Information from ESPN's Tim McManus was used in this report.</s>Few believe Karma would deliver Markelle Fultz to the Philadelphia 76ers . Nobody believes the Philadelphia 76ers have a prayer at Knicks Kristaps Porzingis.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Sixer Sense.</s>PHILADELPHIA, PA – JUNE 23, 2017 – The Philadelphia 76ers selected guard Markelle Fultz from the University of Washingto</s>The Philadelphia 76ers selected Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the first pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday in New York.</s>NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers select Washington guard Markelle Fultz with No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.</s>Philadelphia 76ers take Fultz with top pick in NBA draft

The Philadelphia 76ers have selected guard Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.</s>Fultz selected first by 76ers in NBA Draft

Could the Raps make an impact at the Draft?

The Philadelphia 76ers have selected Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

In 25 games with the Huskies last season, Fultz averaged 23.2 points per game and 5.9 assists.

He joins a young 76ers core featuring Joel Embiid and last year's No. 1 pick Ben Simmons.</s>Fultz is the first Husky to be drafted 1st overall

NEW YORK (AP) -- Philadelphia 76ers select Washington guard Markelle Fultz with No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Fultz set the UW freshman single-season points record with his 579 points.

Fultz averaged 23.2 points last season at Washington, tops among freshmen, and added 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, the only Division I player to reach those stats. He walked across the stage Thursday night at Barclays Center wearing red sneakers made of basketballs.

The 76ers had the No. 1 pick for the second straight year after trading with the Boston Celtics on Monday. Now they add Fultz to a promising young core that includes Rookie of the Year finalists Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, plus Ben Simmons, the top pick from last year who sat out all season with a foot injury.</s>As expected, the Philadelphia 76ersselected point guard Markelle Fultz No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft on Thursday night.

The Sixers had traded up to acquire the top pick from the Celtics after Fultz impressed them in a pre-draft workout. Boston received the No. 3 overall pick (which it used to draft Duke's Jayson Tatum) and a future first-round pick.

"By adding a player of Markelle's caliber to our promising roster, we believe we're incredibly well positioned for the future," team owner Josh Harris said. "This is a tremendous night for the Sixers and our great fans."

It's the second straight year the Sixers had the top pick. They drafted LSU forward Ben Simmons No. 1 in 2016 but he didn't play last season due to a foot injury, and Philly finished 28-54. The Sixers also have the Nos. 36, 39, 46 and 50 picks.

Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 25 games during his lone college season at Washington, excelling on a team that finished 9-22 and lost its final 13 games. Fultz led the Pac-12 in scoring, finished No. 6 among all Division I players, and was the top freshman scorer in the country.

Over the past 10 seasons, only two other freshmen had a better scoring average in college: Kevin Durant for Texas in 2006-07 and Michael Beasley for Kansas State in 2007-08.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



 The best thing Danny Ainge ever did with a Boston Celtics draft pick is trade it</s>The Philadelphia 76ers just drafted Markelle Fultz in the 2017 NBA Draft, and it seems like the "Process" may be coming to an end. After countless draft picks, roster changes, losses, and painful displays of amateur basketball by an NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers seem to be on the right track.

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Markelle Fultz of the University of Washington is selected first by the Philadelphia 76ers.