Philadelphia 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe is one of the most highly rated rookies in his draft class.
After all, the Philadelphia 76ers used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select VJ Edgecombe.
Edgecombe has already shown signs of stardom during his brief appearances in the 2025 NBA Summer League. But is the soon-to-be 20-year-old the best prospect in his class?
Most would say Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg is worthy of that title. However, who could say no to a healthy rivalry between the two rookies? In fact, Flagg and Edgecombe already share a ‘beef.’
Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty ImagesVJ Edgecombe clears the air about his supposed beef with Cooper Flagg
There’s no doubt that rivalries play a huge role in spiking the ratings of the NBA. Keeping that in mind, fans have a potential Edgecombe vs Flagg rivalry to drive up the ratings in the future.
Speaking of which, Edgecombe recently addressed the supposed rivalry with Flagg and explained whether there’s any bad blood between the two rookies.
“It’s a friendly rivalry. Off the court, we’re close. Like we’re close, but on the court, we’re competing. We [are] both competitors.
“The reason why he said that, people thought he said it because ‘Oh, he thinks I’m bad or something’ like nah, I stepped over him,” Edgecombe revealed on Podcast P.
He added: “He was on the floor. He got like the last shot of the third quarter. And walking to my bench, I saw him on the floor, and I just walked over him. That’s why.”
For context, the story stems from the two stars’ high school careers. The speculation began during a Montverde vs Long Island Lutheran matchup where the two talked trash to each other.
“We know at the end it’s all love between me and Coop. It was funny though, ’cause we talk about it all the time. It’s love, man,” Edgecombe stated.
VJ Edgecombe reveals what he told Cooper Flagg
It’s all love between the two stars, and on that note, the 76ers rookie also revealed what he told his now-NBA rival during their viral interaction.
“He was on the floor. He shot, flopped, tried to get a foul. And I was like ‘bro, that ain’t no foul.’ And I just walked over him,” he continued.
“We were both smiling. Nobody was saying anything. I told him, I was like ‘Bro, don’t flop. I know you gonna get the call, but don’t flop. It looks bad.’ And we just smiling about it,” the talented rookie finished.
While there’s no bad blood between VJ and Cooper, their first meeting during the regular season has all the ingredients to be a blockbuster game for NBA fans.