CJ Fulton - remember the name.
Today might have been the birth of an Irish sporting superstar.
It's a big week for Irish basketball with the Schools Cup finals taking place in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, while the men's and women's senior Cup finals will also take place there at the weekend.
Whatever happens over the next few days though, it will be hard to top the performance of a 15-year-old from Belfast earlier today, when St. Malachy's overcame St. Mary's from Tralee in the SUBWAY Under 16A Schools Cup final.
CJ Fulton, the son of Adrian Fulton, an Irish basketball legend, scored an astonishing 47 points in the game, hitting 15 (FIFTEEN!) three-pointers along the way. It might have been the best shooting display ever seen on an Irish court.
By half time, he had hit 11 3s and had left the crowd shell-shocked. By the end, he had more points on his own than the entire St. Mary's team. Fulton's performance was all the more remarkable in that his 45 points from behind the three-point line came from just 18 shots, an incredible strike rate.
CJ Fulton's 15 three-pointers:
CJ Fulton - St Malachy's Under 16 A boys captain, MVP of the #SubwaySchools All Ireland final, and a player with 47 points (45 of which came from three-pointers) at the end of a busy, busy day.
What. A. Performance. pic.twitter.com/iNeQ8H2nA9— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) January 25, 2018
Some of the crowd on hand, including Tralee's own Kieran Donaghy and Mike Quirke couldn't believe their eyes.
CJ Fulton shot 47 points in the arena today in an u-16 A schools basketball final, including 15 3’s. 15! Absolute madness. I can’t think of a better shooting performance by any Irish player ever. He’s 15. Worth watching. https://t.co/CoGCb8DCnS
— Mike Quirke (@Mike_Quirke) January 25, 2018
CJ Fulton 11/12 from downtown in the first half of an all Ireland final, 37pts. Best exhibition of shooting I have ever witnessed. The Green being brave and still fighting. Second half just started #schoolsbasketball
— Kieran Donaghy (@starryboy14) January 25, 2018
CJ Fulton close to 50pts and a quarter to go. 14/16 from downtown, #stephcurry stuff, greatest… https://t.co/7pYGFgtDmf
— Kieran Donaghy (@starryboy14) January 25, 2018
Never seen shooting like this before in the arena.. what an insane performance from CJ Fulton ☂☂ FOURTEEN THREES ☂☂
— Liam Culloty (@culloty11) January 25, 2018
You can watch the whole incredible performance below, thanks to Basketball Ireland's brilliant decision to broadcast the games at the Arena this week live in YouTube.
