Michael Carter-Williams was here and gone in an instant. Long enough to be named Rookie of the Year. Long enough to pique our interest, to wonder what he might become. But not long enough to fully define himself as a basketball player.
As it turned out, injuries never really afforded him that opportunity across an NBA career that saw him suit up for nine seasons and play for five other teams besides the Sixers. He came and went before anyone could fully grasp who and what he was, something that took a toll on his mental health, as he wrote for the The Players’ Tribune in May 2024.