Philadelphia 76ers rookie Markelle Fultz’s shooting struggles have been well documented, the guy is broke, and the Sixers are going to extreme measures to fix his awful shot. Video below to see what I’m talking about.
Now comes word he’s using experimental VR goggles to correct his shot. According to phillyvoice.com, the team is having Fultz use virtual-reality goggles to help him visualize making basketball plays.
The Sixers, according to multiple people who spoke with PhillyVoice for this story, believe they are one of a small group of NBA teams with a setup that allows them to train players in virtual reality. It is something the organization has been toying with over the last half year or so, which they believe is primarily useful to help put players inside a game situation, like being part of an inbounds play. It is a way to keep them involved in the program when they can’t participate physically, as they’ve done with injured rookie Furkan Korkmaz.
With Fultz, there is a different motivation to get him behind the VR goggles. The Sixers, according to multiple sources, wanted him to be able to visualize the mechanics he’ll use in a game, to remember how easy it once was for him to rise up with the ball and shoot from anywhere on the court, and to be able to do so without the glare of the cameras or other people around him. With pressure coming down on him from all angles, turning part of a teenager’s job into a video game is one way to relieve the stress of the situation.
There’s very little documented cases of the YIPS in hoops, so who knows what he’ll try next. Good luck Markelle, we’re pulling for you!
