Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe comes from humble beginnings from The Bahamas. The No. 3 overall pick in the draft has worked his tail off in order to be in the position he is today and one can assume that he will continue maniacally working in order to take the next step.
After a season at Baylor in which he averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals, Edgecombe impressed in the two summer league games he was able to play in. He was limited because of a left thumb sprain, but he was able to have 28 points, 10 rebounds, four rebounds, and two blocks in his debut and then have 14 points and two steals when he returned from the injury in Las Vegas.
In a touching Player’s Tribune post, Edgecombe highlighted his incredible journey to the league while also thanking the Sixers for selecting him and giving love to the city of Philadelphia:
The journey has been crazy, man. It’s just surreal.
Philly, I’m proud to be one of you, now.
Thank you to the 76ers organization for giving me the opportunity. I couldn’t be more grateful to be here.
Now, I’ve gotten the chance to explore a little bit. I’ve had some Philly cheesesteaks. I’ve run up the Rocky Steps. I’m just getting comfortable and getting my bearings. But I’m really looking forward to earning your respect, and the respect of my teammates and coaches. I’m just trying to be a sponge and learn and absorb, and hopefully get better.
Edgecombe now has to prepare for the next step in the NBA as he gets ready for training camp. That will be his first opportunity to get some work done with the big team in front of coach Nick Nurse as they move forward.