VJ Edgecombe knows he belongs at NBA All-Star Weekend

“With the third pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select VJ Edgecombe from Bimini, Bahamas, and Baylor University,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced. With that announcement, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said he immediately decided the Bahamian would be a starter for him.

“I knew he was going into the starting lineup when we drafted him for sure,” Nurse said.

A confident yet humble, inquisitive and hardworking Edgecombe wasn’t surprised.

“I knew I belonged on draft night. It is the confidence I have in myself. I know I work hard. I know I am going to continue to get better with the staff here,” Edgecombe told Andscape. “I know I am getting better every day. I don’t want to sound cocky, but I don’t think they would have picked me if they didn’t think I was ready.”

Nurse’s decision has proven to be a wise one as Edgecombe is already a proven Sixers starter and one of the NBA’s top rookies.

Edgecombe averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals in all starts entering Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks. This production is while playing alongside two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Maxey and 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid. Edgecombe joins Dallas forward Cooper Flagg as the only two rookies averaging at least 14 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists this season.

“Four or five games into the season, you could see his incredible composure, his versatility,” Nurse said. “He does a little bit of everything. Handle, shoot a little, rebounds, blocks shots, guards. He does all those things at an above-average level.”

Edgecombe also became the 22nd Sixers player to be named to All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars game, which will played Friday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The Rising Stars includes three teams of stellar first- and second-year players and one G League All-Star team playing in a four-team, single-elimination tournament. After Flagg and Charlotte Hornets rookie guard Kon Knueppel, Edgecombe was the third selection.

“I remember when Buddy [Hield] won the 3-point contest [in 2016],” Edgecombe said. “That is something I will always remember. All-Star games. … It’s a blessing to be recognized to participate in such a special weekend throughout the NBA season. Obviously, everyone’s goal is the Sunday game. That is everyone’s goal.

“I was fully blessed to be chosen to be in Rising Stars. I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, I’m playing in the Sunday game, also.”

Said Maxey: “I want him to go out there and have fun. I also want him to go out there and compete. The spotlight is on. The first time I was at Rising Star, I didn’t perform like I wanted to. I was kind of nervous and happy to be there. I want him to go out there and be MVP.”

Like Nurse, it also didn’t take Maxey long to have faith in Edgecombe.

Maxey described Edgecombe as “mature,” and said he has done “everything he has needed to do all [season],” adding that he gets better daily.

Maxey said he challenged his teammates to join him for offseason workouts at 6 a.m. Edgecombe was there the very next morning, to Maxey’s delight.

“We had a team workout before the season started and I was messing around with the guys,” Maxey told Andscape. “And I said, ‘If y’all want your asses busted at 6 a.m. in 1-on-1s before the workouts, you better be there.’ T-Wat [Sixers forward Trendon Watford] had no choice but to be there. He’s the homie.

“And VJ was there, and he was playing 1’s and trying to beat me in every spot. He couldn’t. But that is when you know somebody is the real deal.”

Edgecombe appears to be a sponge who wants to learn as much as possible. He said he “learn[s] something” daily from veteran guard Kyle Lowry. Former Sixers guard Eric Gordon taught Edgecombe how to take care of his body, like using cold and hot tubs. Edgecombe also credited the Sixers’ coaching staff for his continued development.

Edgecombe said several personal attributes are the reasons for his success.

“It’s just my energy. My character,” Edgecombe said. “I am not no weirdo. I like to ask questions. I generally care about my teammates, also. … It’s a business, but I try to build relationships on and off the court. Tyrese and I are super close. I ask him about his family all the time. I ask Joel about his family all the time. Joel’s son, that’s my dawg. Even P [swingman Paul George].

“I just try to get to know them off the floor. Everyone sees them as these superstars in the league, but I just try to build relationships that last a lifetime. I try to do that with everybody.”

Edgecombe scored 34 points in his NBA debut — a 117-116 win against the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder missed 10-of-11 shots and 7-of-8 3-pointer attempts against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 2, but said he was confident his teammates “didn’t lose faith in me.”

The next night, he made 11 shots, including a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals to lead the Sixers to a win at Golden State.

“I trust my work,” Edgecombe said after the Warriors’ game. “It’s all confidence. I got my teammates, especially. Once your teammates have trust in you, man, I feel like you just go out there and go hoop. You don’t have to worry about anything. You don’t have to worry about making, missing.

“It’s a team game. They know I’m going to make my plays.”

Said Maxey: “He ain’t worried about nothing. That’s a confident kid right there.”

With Gordon recently waived by the Memphis Grizzlies, the Bahamas has three NBA players, including Edgecombe, Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton and Hield, who is with the Atlanta Hawks. Of the 11 Bahamians to play in the NBA, which includes former No. 1 draft pick Mychal Thompson and three-time NBA champion Rick Fox, none have ever been an NBA All-Star.

Edgecombe is already dreaming of making history for the Bahamas as its first NBA All-Star. The 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday marks the first time a World team will participate. The new U.S. vs. World format will feature a three-team, round-robin tournament with USA Stars, USA Stripes and World teams.

“That is amazing. I like it,” Edgecombe said. “It shows the depth in the game now. It shows that they have a lot of different All-Stars, Americans. They have international players. It’s really dope to see more and more international players every year.”

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